Stars turn out for New York AIDS walk
The 22nd Annual AIDS Walk in New York City last weekend was the largest and most successful ever held, setting records for both participation and fundraising.
Organisers have announced that 45,000 walkers helped to raise a grand total of $6,857,527 (£3.45m).
“New York showed its strong support for Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC),” said AIDS Walk Founder and producer Craig R. Miller.
“We all took to the streets to raise a record-setting $6.8 million to support people living with HIV/AIDS in New York City and to fund the critical HIV prevention programmes needed to stop new infections.”
“The phenomenal success of AIDS Walk represents teamwork at its essence. None of us walks alone, and the success of AIDS Walk is a testament to our ability to work, walk, and succeed together,” said Marjorie J. Hill, Chief Executive Officer of GMHC.
“AIDS Walk is proof that New Yorkers care very deeply about AIDS here in New York City, the epicentre of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S.”
AIDS Walk opening ceremonies featured the participation of Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper, T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy), Lance Bass (‘N Sync), British actor Alan Cumming and B.D. Wong (Law Order: SVU).
AIDS Walk New York benefits GMHC and more than 50 other local AIDS organisations.
“These dollars permit us to provide innovative direct service programmes, outreach and education to hundreds of thousands, and fierce public policy leadership at all levels of government,” said Robert E. Bank, Esq., Chief Operating Officer at GMHC.
“We are grateful to our corporate and individual donors, media sponsors, and especially to the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who make this event the largest gathering of AIDS activists in the world.”
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