AIDS Walk New York Raises Record-Setting $6.857 Million
From: PRNewswire-USNewswire | Date: May 22, 2007
NEW YORK, May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The 22nd Annual AIDS Walk New York, on Sunday May 20, was the largest and most successful AIDS Walk ever held, setting records for both participation and fundraising. Organizers announced that 45,000 walkers helped to raise a grand total of $6,857,527.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070522/DCTU104 )
“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 programs 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 tes tament 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 epicenter 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), Alan Cumming (X2, Cabaret), B.D. Wong (Law & Order: SVU), Jason Steed (Noah’s Arc), and Emmy-winning writer/actor Bruce Vilanch, with special musical performances by the cast of A Chorus Line, and Stephanie J. Block (The Pirate Queen), who sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” the AIDS Walk theme song.
AIDS Walk New York benefits GMHC and more than 50 other local AIDS organizations.
“These dollars permit us to provide innovative direct service programs, 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.”
About GMHC: GMHC is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community- based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS. Its mission is to reduce the spread of HIV disease, help people with HIV maintain and improve their health and independence, and keep the prevention, treatment and cure of HIV an urgent national and local priority. GMHC provides services and programs to over 15,000 men, women and families that are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in New York City, and outreach and education to hundreds of thousands throughout the world. For more information about GMHC programs and services, please visit http://www.gmhc.org/.
About MZA Events: AIDS Walk New York was founded in 1986 by Craig R. Miller and his organization of activists, MZA Events. Miller is the originator of the AIDS Walk fundraising model and has raised nearly $300 million for leading AIDS charities nationwide. Miller and MZA have produced this landmark event every spring for the past twenty-two years.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070522/DCTU104AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Gay Men’s Health Crisis
CONTACT: Noel Alicea of GMHC, +1-212-367-1216, cell: +1-917-583-6657; orJoshua Tjaden of AWNY, +1-212-807-9255, cell: +1-917-683-5464
Web site: http://www.gmhc.org/
