Despite the challenges of switching to a digital format because of COVID-19 restrictions, AIDS Walk Los Angeles surpassed its fundraising goals, bringing in a total of $974,058 for AIDS service organizations in Los Angeles County.

The theme of this year’s event was “Get With the Programs,” a reference to the main types of HIV services offered by APLA Health: care, support and education. AIDS Walk participants signed up to raise funds for one of the programs and received digital information about that program.

In 1985, the world’s first AIDS Walk took place on the Paramount Pictures studio lot and this year Richard Garcia went back to that original route. Thank you, so much for your support, Richard. You’re a STAR!!!

Posted by AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Sunday, September 13, 2020

“While COVID-19 has been top of mind for everyone, it has also served to highlight the significant health disparities that exist in Los Angeles County. Black and Latinx people are persistently more likely to experience barriers to care, and new HIV diagnoses are substantially higher in these communities,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health, in a press release about the fundraiser.  “We need to stay focused on ending the COVID-19 pandemic, but we can’t discontinue our work to stop the more than 1,600 new HIV infections per year in Los Angeles County. We can and will continue the fight to end both of these pandemics.”

Can you believe it’s already the final Friday of #AWLA2020!? ????❤️????️ Today we want to talk about the future, specifically...

Posted by AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Friday, September 11, 2020

APLA Health is the main recipient and organizer of AIDS Walk Los Angeles. Through its many locations in Los Angeles, APLA Health offers a variety of services to the HIV and LGBT communities. A new health center is slated to open next year on the campus of Charles R. Drew University, and it will offer HIV prevention and support along with primary medical, dental and behavioral health care services.

The top fundraising teams were Starbucks CARES, APA Health, MAC Cosmetics, Latham & Watkins LLP, ABC7—Disney PRIDE, Crown Media Family Networks—Hallmark Channel, Kids Who Care Coalition, Grindr, Project Angel Food and Anthem Blue Cross. The top individual fundraisers were DJ Moore; Area 136; John Squatritto; Gina Lozano; Jason Cupp; Jessica Pennington Quinn; Bert, Juliet, Danica and Ari Champagne-Moffett; Michael Barrett; Robin Bram; and Kendra Castleberry.

In related news, the annual AIDS Walk fundraisers of New York City and San Francisco joined forces for a virtual event in July. To watch videos from the broadcasts, see “Don’t Miss the Largest Single-Day HIV Fundraising Event Ever!”