GMHC’s leadership and supporters rang the opening bell at the NASDAQ Exchange on May 18, two days ahead of the AIDS Walk.
PHOTO ESSAY BY DONNA ACETO | On a Sunday in Central Park where participants were given an option of a 10k walk or a 5k run, 20,000 people joined in the annual AIDS Walk New York and raised more than $4.4 million to benefit Gay Men’s Health Crisis and dozens of other HIV service organizations in the tri-state area. In the event’s more than three decades, more than $150 million has been raised to combat HIV and AIDS and support those living with the virus.
Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, and Charlie Carver, currently starring in the Broadway premiere of Mart Crowley’s iconic “Boys in the Band.”
“New Yorkers once again demonstrated their unwavering compassion for people living with HIV/ AIDS,” said Kelsey Louie, the group’s CEO. “Today we assembled in massive numbers and raised vital funds that will help GMHC continue to be a national leader in the response to HIV/AIDS, while moving our community closer to our goal of ending the epidemic by 2020. With an increase in new infections among women, threats to life-saving health care for those living with HIV and other chronic conditions, and a national climate that is increasingly hostile to at-risk populations, many challenges lie ahead of us.”
GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Event founder Craig R. Miller, said, “There’s an alarming trend against truth coming out of Washington, DC, these days, but here in New York, facts still matter. While the current administration chooses to ignore the fact that AIDS remains a serious threat in this and other communities, those who participated in AIDS Walk New York today, raising $4,416,919, continue to be loud, strong, and determined.”
Participants begin the 10k AIDS Walk in Central Park.
Michael Urie and Mercedes Ruehl, who starred in the recent Off-Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song,” which heads to Broadway this fall.
A group of participants from the Gay Latino Collective.
Activists call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to support city efforts to establish safe consumption spaces to prevent opioid overdose deaths.
Members of Gays Against Guns’ Sing Out Louise chorus serenade walkers at the end of the route to remind them of the devastation guns are causing in America.
Ruth Pointer, an original member of the Pointer Sisters, sings with her daughter (r.) and granddaughter (l.)
The grand total raised of more than $4.4 million is displayed on stage after the Walk.
