A massive event to raise funds for those affected by or at-risk for AIDS will take place next month in Atlanta.
The 28th annual AIDS Walk Atlanta and 5K Run will happen Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Piedmont Park near Park Tavern, a Thursday press release said. Confidential HIV and other screenings will be available at the event, and the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display.
Nicole Roebuck, executive director of AID Atlanta, said HIV/AIDS is "the most significant health emergency" in the area. In 2015, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, an estimated 2,381 adults and adolescents were diagnosed with HIV in the state, putting Georgia fifth in the United States.
“We are always unsure about future government support, so this walk/run is a way that we can all come together and raise funds for 11 great organizations,” Roebuck said in a statement. The organizations provide services and clinical research to help those affected by HIV/AIDS in Atlanta.
According to health officials, 1 in 5 Georgians who have HIV don't know it. Human Immunodeficiency Virus can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS.
Register to walk for $15 until Oct. 20 and $20 after that, or register to run for $35 until Oct. 20 and $50 after that, here or by calling 404-876-9255. Volunteers can participate for free with at least a four-hour shift.
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Gracie Bonds Staples, a columnist with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote a five-part series about HIV and black gay men, who according to the CDC are 22 times more likely to be HIV positive than black Americans overall.
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