AIDS Walk Los Angeles returns to Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday for an opening ceremony featuring Drew Carey (“The Price Is Right”), Conrad Ricamora (“How to Get Away With Murder”), Frenchie Davis (“The Voice”), as well as corporate and community leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The opening ceremony begins at 9:15 a.m. and at 10:30 a.m. thousands of participants will begin the 10K walk, which Last year raised more than $2.3 million for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and advocacy programs.
Since it began in 1985, the annual event has raised more than $82 million to fight the disease in Los Angeles County, and the AIDS Walk movement has raised more than a half-billion dollars nationwide.
Funds raised by the L.A. AIDS Walk benefit APLA Health, which provides food, housing support, benefits counseling and other services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as primary medical, dental, and mental health care and HIV prevention services focused on the LGBT and other underserved communities.
Post-walk festivities will include music, dancing, food trucks, and the “Downtown Divas of Drag” show, with stars from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Elected leaders who will be there include L.A. City Councilmember José Huizar and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who will speak about the current state of HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles.
Other elected officials in attendance are U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters; State Senators Bob Hertzberg and Steve Bradford; L.A. County Assessor Jeffrey Prang; L.A. City Controller Ron Galperin; L.A. City Councilmembers Paul Krekorian, David Ryu and Paul Koretz, and West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath. Longtime AIDS Walk supporter Ellen Leyva of ABC7 News also will address the crowd.
Maps of the Grand Park event and the walk route and a detailed schedule can be found online.
