TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Canada's most important annual HIV awareness and fundraising event, the Scotiabank AIDS Walk Toronto, will take place on Sunday, September 11 at Barbara Hall Park. The Toronto Walk raises money for the vital education, outreach and HIV prevention programs for people at risk of HIV, as well as support services for those living with HIV and AIDS offered at ACT, the AIDS Committee of Toronto. Last year's Walk raised $245,000 (net).
The Walk, now in its 28th year, welcomes former Toronto Mayor Barbara Hall and her partner Max Beck as returning Honorary Co-Chairs. This will be the first year that Mayor Hall will Co-Chair the Walk in the park that bears her name. The park next to the 519 Community Centre was renamed in 2014 to acknowledge her contributions to LGBTQ communities.
The Walk will be hosted this year by Mitchell Moffit, of Big Brother Canada 4, and partner Gregory Brown, co-creators of the popular YouTube channels AsapSCIENCE and AsapTHOUGHT.
With over 5.3 million subscribers, these Toronto YouTubers have made several videos related to their experience within the LGBTQ community, recently focusing on the science of HIV and AIDS. "We've looked at the science," wrote Mitchell, "and there's lots of really important stuff happening. The more people know about it, the more impact it will have. That's why organizations like ACT, that provide community education and capacity building, are so important." "Giving back to the community here in Toronto is important to us. It's going to be a fantastic day," added Gregory.
Despite remarkable progress in the treatment and prevention of HIV since the mid-1990s, new infections occur in Toronto every day and a corrosive stigma continues to impact people living with the virus. Over 75,000 people are currently living with HIV in Canada, with over 19,000 living in Toronto.
John Maxwell, the Executive Director of ACT, has been attending the annual event for over 20 years. "I have been to many, many AIDS Walks here in Toronto, and the feeling of being an HIV-positive person and showing up to the Walk to see over a thousand people out to show their support is an incredible feeling. We are walking together for a future with zero new-HIV transmissions, zero HIV-related stigma, and zero AIDS-related deaths."
| What: |
Scotiabank AIDS Walk Toronto |
| Where: |
Barbara Hall Park |
| 519 Church Street |
|
| Toronto, ON M4Y 2C9 |
|
| When: |
Sunday September 11, 2016 |
| 10:00 a.m. – Registration |
|
| 11:30 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies |
|
| 12:00 p.m. – Walk begins |
SOURCE AIDS Committee of Toronto
Video with caption: "Video: The Science of HIV and AIDS from AIDS Walk hosts ASAP Science.". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDVNdn0CvKI
Image with caption: "Scotiabank AIDS Walk Toronto and AIDS Committee of Toronto (CNW Group/AIDS Committee of Toronto)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160829_C7856_PHOTO_EN_757192.jpg
Chris Thomas, Communications Coordinator, ACT, 1-416-340-8484 ext. 225, [email protected]
Share this article