Participants are encouraged to fight the spread of COVID-19 and support HIV prevention and treatment by walking and running on their own route and schedule at walktoendHIV.org.
Washington, D.C. – Whitman-Walker will host its 34th annual Walk & 5K to End HIV virtually this year. The Walk & 5K, formerly AIDS Walk Washington, is Whitman-Walker’s largest fundraiser of the year and supports the organization’s work and mission of keeping 20,000+ unique patients healthy and thriving. On October 24th, folks around the DC, Maryland and Virginia area, and beyond, are invited to participate in the official event “Walk Day” by walking or running a 5K route of their choosing – however, supporters can walk, run and donate through December 31st. This year’s fundraising goal is $400,000.
“The Walk is imperative to helping Whitman-Walker deliver affordable and dignifying HIV care, prevention and wellness services. Funds help to support our free testing services and help ensure that we continue to provide the affirming health care the community deserves. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from the entire community for decades and hope they will continue to support us again this year” said Naseema Shafi, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health.
This year’s Walk is also a call-to-action. The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated long-standing disparities that Whitman-Walker has been working to improve since their inception in 1973. Through their work to reduce barriers to accessing health care, the non-profit stands against racism and discrimination.
This year community will Walk together to:
- Ensure Equality
- Fight Racism
- Love Openly
- Save Lives
Participants can post photos from their 5K walk or run whether they use the Whitman-Walker-provided routes in DC, or their own individual ones in their cities with #WalktoEndHIV. Folks can register for free and donate at www.walktoendHIV.org!
Whitman-Walker held its first walk in 1987 to fight the lack of government resources allocated for AIDS care and research. After the first reports of HIV/AIDS 39 years ago – people and communities are still very much affected by HIV, so we keep walking, running and fundraising – and encourage the community to do the same. HIV report in DC had less than 300 new cases of HIV in 2019 – the first time it has been this low since 1984.
As the world combats the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot lose the progress made in combatting the HIV epidemic. “Whitman-Walker is so grateful for the unwavering support of the communities we serve. Like many individuals and businesses, we are experiencing both human and financial hardship due to COVID. This year’s Walk could not come at a better time as we need donations—both large and small—to relieve COVID-related financial pressures,” said Don Blanchon, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health System.
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Press Contact: Jewel Addy, Director of Communications
202-204-5531 | jaddy@whitman-walker.org
About Whitman-Walker
Whitman-Walker operates a community-centered enterprise that provides primary medical care, behavioral health care, dental care, and a range of health-related legal and support services, with specialties in LGBTQ+ and HIV care, to more than 20,000 individuals and families annually in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan region. The Whitman-Walker Foundation believes all people deserve accessible, affordable, high-quality healthcare in a safe environment and free of bias, judgment, and discrimination. The Foundation raises community-based philanthropic support to ensure the sustainability of our services, and to advance our vision of social justice and equality through health. Learn more at whitmanwalkerimpact.org.
