AIDS Walk
Encyclopedia
Walkathon
A walkathon , walking marathon or sponsored walk is a type of community or school fundraiser in which participants raise money by collecting donations or pledges for walking a predetermined distance or course...
fundraiser
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
that raises money to combat the AIDS epidemic. The funds raised from AIDS Walks usually benefit a local AIDS service organization
AIDS service organization
AIDS service organizations are community based organizations that provide community support. While their primary function is to provide needed services to individuals with HIV, they also provide support services for their families and friends as well as conduct prevention efforts...
(such as Gay Men's Health Crisis
Gay Men's Health Crisis
The Gay Men's Health Crisis is a New York City-based non-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based AIDS service organization that has led the United States in the fight against AIDS.-1980s:...
, Whitman-Walker Clinic
Whitman-Walker Clinic
Whitman-Walker Health , , is the largest nongovernmental HIV/AIDS health care organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It has historically served a primarily LGBT clientele...
or the AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles is a 5013 non-profit organization, "dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by AIDS disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection, and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy."...
), which provide services and advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
for local community residents who are infected with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. They are also often credited for being effective tools of public outreach, community empowerment, and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
for the issues surrounding AIDS.
AIDS Walk fundraisers are a primarily American phenomenon because the United States has no nationalized healthcare system, and the services provided by local AIDS service organizations may not be otherwise accessible to people who are HIV positive.
Event
In a typical AIDS Walk, participants walk a predetermined routeThoroughfare
A thoroughfare is a place of transportation intended to connect one location to another. Highways, roads, and trails are examples of thoroughfares used by a variety of general traffic. On land a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a rough trail to multi-lane highway with grade separated...
(usually 5 or 10 kilometers long) through a city or town. Many AIDS Walks have team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
programs that encourage organizations such as churches, schools, and corporations to participate together. Many events also have opening and/or closing ceremonies which feature speeches and performances by celebrities, community leaders, and politicians.
Fundraising
FundraisingFundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
models vary from event to event, but most AIDS Walks encourage participants to raise money by collecting pledges from their friends, family, and co-workers. Some events have a required minimum amount or registration fee, but for many events fundraising is voluntary.
Volunteering
An AIDS Walk event will usually be produced with the help of volunteers. Typically, an AIDS Walk volunteer will assist on an assortment of projects. Some of these projects could include: direct mailing pieces are sent out to registrants, creating fund-raising packages, phone-banking past participants and volunteers to continue their efforts, and many other tasks as needed.On the day of the event, volunteers can number in the thousands and might perform many different (and necessary) tasks. Volunteers might hand out refreshments to participants, cheer and direct participants along the route and throughout the AIDS Walk venue, assist lost children and other participants, assist \the event, assist with communication throughout the venue, and even escort celebrities, elected leaders and other invited guests throughout the day.
History
On July 28, 1985, AIDS Project Los AngelesAIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles is a 5013 non-profit organization, "dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by AIDS disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection, and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy."...
held the world's first AIDS Walk. Its organizers hoped to raise $100,000, that day, but a tide of 4,500 walkers rolled forward from the starting point at Paramount Studios, bringing in $673,000.