Dear Community,
For 26 incredible years, the AIDS Walk family has united in friendship, compassion and hope to remember those we have lost to HIV/AIDS and to affirm those who live with the disease every day. The unwavering support that thousands have given to AIDS Walk over these many years heartens and inspires. Our community’s untiring zeal to remain in the fight astounds!
Once again, we invite you to help: The 26th annual AIDS Walk Kansas City will be Saturday, April 26, at Theis Park, located at Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd. and Oak Street. Registration begins at 8 a.m., Welcoming Ceremonies commence at 9 a.m., and at 10 a.m., we walk!
This year’s AIDS Walk theme, We Are Family, reminds us that for 26 years, friends, co-workers and the business community have joined as one, supported as one, and acted as one to strive for an AIDS-free Kansas City. When we participate in fundraising events, We Are Family. When we form teams and share fundraising pages, We Are Family. And yes, on April 26 when we lace up our sneakers and hit the streets to demonstrate that we remember those we have lost and rally for those whom we will not lose, We Are Family.
Last year, AIDS Walk Kansas City raised more than $500,000 in support of our local HIV/AIDS service organizations. In fact, due to the tremendous effort of the AIDS Walk family and many other caring local organizations working in HIV/AIDS, Kansas City now surpasses national trends for identifying HIV positive individuals (98% vs. 77%), providing long-term holistic care (87% vs. 51%) and suppressing viral loads (74% vs. 35%).
These gains have been extraordinary, but our efforts must not falter. We hope you will join us April 26 as our AIDS Walk family continues the quest of love, compassion and hope, one step at a time, for those brave men, women and young people living with HIV/AIDS in our hometown.
Michael Lintecum
Event director,
AIDS WALK Kansas City
Missy Koonce
President,
AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City
