BOSTON, MA – Registration is now open for the 29th annual AIDS Walk Boston & 5K Run, which will take place Sunday, June 1, 2014. The event, which regularly draws 10,000 to 15,000 participants, is AIDS Action Committee’s largest annual fundraiser. The Walk is 6.2-miles. The 5K Run is a competitive, timed event fully sanctioned by the USA Track & Field Association.
The AIDS Walk & 5K Run will begin and end at the DCR Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston. Registration and check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. The Walk begins at 10 a.m.; the 5K Run begins at 9:50 a.m. WCVB-TV Eye Opener Newscaster Randy Price will emcee the event, which also includes a Wellness Festival, a post-walk celebration of healthy living.
Participants can register for the AIDS Walk & 5K Run at www.aidswalkboston.org. There is neither a registration fee nor a minimum fundraising requirement to participate in the Walk. There is a $25 registration fee for the 5K Run. AIDS Action expects to raise approximately $1 million from the event.
“Without the money raised by AIDS Walk and 5K Run participants, AIDS Action Committee could not do the life-saving work of connecting people with health care, peer support, counseling, free HIV testing, housing and fuel assistance, and legal services,” said AIDS Action CEO Rebecca Haag, who walks each year and personally contributes to every fellow AIDS Action employee who walks or runs. “We hope everyone in Greater Boston will join us or donate to the thousands of walkers and runners who do participate, because that support truly makes a difference. Since 1999, we have helped reduce new HIV diagnoses in Massachusetts by 52 percent. This means that more than 6,300 people who might otherwise have become HIV positive have remained negative, which has spared them the pain of a diagnosis of HIV and will save the state about $2.4 billion in HIV-related health care costs.” [pullquote]“Without the money raised by AIDS Walk and 5K Run participants, AIDS Action Committee could not do the life-saving work of connecting people with health care, peer support, counseling, free HIV testing, housing and fuel assistance, and legal services,” said AIDS Action CEO Rebecca Haag[/pullquote]
Corporate sponsors of this year’s AIDS Walk and 5K Run include Macy’s, Whole Foods Market, Bristol-Myers Squibb, EMD Serono, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Eastern Bank, Delta Dental, Gilead, Partners HealthCare, ProVerde Laboratories, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Neighborhood Health Plan, Nestle, Berkshire Bank, Polar Beverages, and JetBlue. This year’s media sponsors are WCVB-TV 5, Evolution 101.7, JAM’N 94.5, Kiss 108, and Yelp.
Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Jacoba van Heugten at 617-450-1512 or jvanheugten@aac.org.
AIDS Action will support the Boston AIDS Walk with a robust social media outreach and fundraising plan:
Walkers can fundraise through their Facebook pages by installing the Fundraising with Facebook application. Last year, walkers raised approximately $25,000 in donations through Facebook.
Follow @AIDSWalkBoston and the hashtag #AWB5K for information about HIV/AIDS and the Boston AIDS Walk.
Facts About HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts
–Between FY 2000 and FY 2013, the budget for HIV/AIDS has decreased 38% from $51.7 million to $32.1 million.
–Between 2000 and 2011, the number of people living HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts increased 44%, placing substantial demands on existing prevention and treatment programs.
–Blacks make up only 6% of the state’s population, but they comprise 30% of those living with HIV/AIDS.
–Hispanics make up only 8% of the state’s population, but they comprise 25% of those living with HIV/AIDS.
–Between 2009 and 2011, male-to-male sex was the leading reported exposure mode for HIV infection, accounting for 41% of all exposures.
About AIDS Walk Boston & 5K Run
The AIDS Walk was first held in 1986 and is one of the first fundraising walks to be introduced in Boston, as well as the country. The 5K Run was added to open up fundraising to runners. Historically AAC’s largest fundraising event, it has raised over $39 million for programs and services to support those living with and at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS.
AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts is the state’s leading provider of prevention and wellness services for people vulnerable to HIV infection. It provides services to one in six people in Massachusetts living with an HIV diagnosis. These services include HIV counseling and testing; needle exchange; mental health counseling; housing assistance; and legal services. AIDS Action works to prevent new HIV infections, support those affected by HIV, and tackle the root causes of HIV/AIDS by educating the public and health professionals about HIV prevention and care; and advocating for fair and effective HIV/AIDS policy at the city, state, and federal levels. Founded in 1983, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts is New England’s first and largest AIDS service organization. In 2013, AIDS Action formed a strategic alliance with Fenway Health that will allow the two organizations to work more closely together and improve delivery of care and services to people living with HIV/AIDS. Learn more at www.aac.org.
