For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
EMAIL:jburke@apla.org
AIDS Walk Los Angeles A Success!
25,000 Participants Raise Nearly
$2.5 Million at 19th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles
Funds Support Critical HIV/AIDS Services at AIDS Project
Los Angeles and 20 other Organizations Across Los Angeles
County
Los Angeles, October 21, 2003 – An enthusiastic and diverse crowd of 25,000 walkers raised nearly $2.5 million at AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Sunday, October 19. “AIDS Walk is a critical fund raiser for people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County,” said Craig E. Thompson, Executive Director, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). “With much of California’s attention focused on the recall and its costs, we are so grateful to the Los Angeles community for once again publicly demonstrating its commitment to fighting AIDS and supporting people living with HIV or AIDS. The generosity of AIDS walkers, sponsors, volunteers and the West Hollywood and Los Angeles communities is boundless.”
AIDS Walk Los Angeles, which was presented this year by Wells Fargo, benefits AIDS Project Los Angeles and 20 other AIDS service organizations across Los Angeles County. Services include APLA’s food pantries, the APLA dental clinic, prevention campaigns, nutrition programs, mental health programs and critically needed housing assistance.
“The community is the story here today -- your work saves lives,” said Brenda Freiberg, Chair, APLA Board of Directors, addressing the crowd of walkers in West Hollywood. “Your support helps AIDS Project Los Angeles provide vital direct services to people who need them. Your support helps critical prevention messages reach people all over this County and nation. Your support allows our political voice to be heard, from Sacramento to Washington, DC and beyond. We are here with you in this fight, for as long as it takes.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, Eric McCormack, Hal Sparks, Mary Steenburgen, Nia Vardalos, Jeffrey Tambor, Bill Brochtrup, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and poet Jessica Care Moore were among the special guests to rally walkers at the Opening Ceremonies. Lorna Luft, acclaimed singer/actress and daughter of Judy Garland, sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest AIDS service organizations, provides direct services to more than 10,000 men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in Los Angeles County each year. Services include prevention education, food banks and nutrition education, professional dental care, housing assistance, mental health counseling, and case management. APLA is a leader in the provision of bilingual HIV treatment information, in print and on the Internet, and advocates for effective AIDS-related policies and legislation on the local, state and federal level. For more information, please visit www.apla.org.
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