For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke -
213.201.1525
jburke@apla.org
Stars Lace Up for AIDS Walk Los Angeles
Opening Ceremony to Include “Dreamgirls” Singer,
“Grey’s Anatomy” and “Ugly Betty” Co-Stars
23rd Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles, Sunday October 21st
Los Angeles, September 21, 2007. AIDS Walk organizers today announced the initial talent lineup for the AIDS Walk Los Angeles Opening Ceremony, to be held Sunday, October 21st at 9am at West Hollywood Park.
“Dreamgirls” star and Tony® winner Anika Noni Rose will perform the AIDS Walk anthem, Roger’s & Hammerstein’s You’ll Never Walk Alone. Also scheduled to appear onstage are TR Knight of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Ana Ortiz of “Ugly Betty,” Faith Ford of “Carpoolers,” Wilson Cruz and Darryl Stephens of LOGO’s “Noah’s Arc,” Jai Rodriguez of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” and Kimberly McCullough and Jason Thompson of “General Hospital.” Other talent announcements will follow.
With a month to go before this year’s event, AIDS Walk Founder and Producer Craig R. Miller says, “It’s encouraging that both new faces and old friends are stepping up at this early stage in the campaign.” Since its inception in 1985, AIDS Walk Los Angeles has attracted stars of stage, screen and music, including outspoken AIDS activists such as: Madonna, Teri Hatcher, Rita Moreno, Angela Lansbury, Jamie Lee Curtis, Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally, Christine Baranski and Kelsey Grammer.
“Participating in the AIDS Walk gives our friends in Hollywood the chance to touch the lives of people with HIV/AIDS,” said Craig E. Thompson, executive director of lead beneficiary AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). “Often walking with us step for step, they increase our visibility and create hope for progress in the fight against AIDS.”
Last year 30,000 participants raised a record $3.7 million, making AIDS Walk Los Angeles the largest AIDS fundraiser in Southern California. Since its inception, AIDS Walk Los Angeles has raised more than $55 million for APLA and other HIV/AIDS organizations throughout LA County.
AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. Founded by four friends in 1982, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit www.apla.org.
Miller and his organization of activists, MZA Events, created the AIDS Walk model in 1984, and currently produce the event in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Ft. Lauderdale. Since its inception, MZA’s AIDS Walks have raised nearly $300 million for leading AIDS charities nationwide.
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