AIDS Walk Spirits Up, Donations Down

Numerous politicians and celebrities were among the 30,000 people taking part in the 26th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles. The walk raised about $2.8 million, compared to $3.15 million last year and $4 million in 2008; the funds benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. Executive Director Craig Thompson said competition from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's first California AIDS Walk, held in September, increased APLA's fundraising expenses. AHF reported its walk raised "slightly over $600,000," according to Communications Director Ged Kenslea. Drew Carey, star of "The Price Is Right," hosted Sunday's walk. West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman said, "I remember the first years we did AIDS Walk; at that time, there wasn't a lot of hope. But thanks to all of you, we now have tremendous hope here." He added, "In the early days, you wouldn't get buses of school children coming out; it was a real scary thing [to walk]. You wouldn't get as many people out from the entertainment industry, because they feared association with it." Those attending this year included TV stars Joshua Gomez ("Chuck"), Ana Ortiz, and Michael Urie ("Ugly Betty"), and US House Democrats Henry Waxman, Howard Berman, and Lucille Roybal-Allard.

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