10 am – 1 pm
Rosa Parks Circle in Downtown Grand Rapids - 10:00 AM, Saturday, September 13, 2014
The Grand Rapids Red Project and AIDS Inc. are hosting the 22nd annual AIDS Walk + Run in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hundreds of participants walk, run, and just have a good time along the 5K riverside route. All of the proceeds from the event support HIV prevention programs at AIDS Inc. and Red Project.
The Grand Rapids AIDS Walk + Run celebrates the lives of those affected by HIV and brings the community together in support of HIV prevention and decreasing stigma. The walk memorializes over 30 million people who have died from the global AIDS epidemic while supporting those that are currently living healthy lives with successful HIV treatment in the Grand Rapids community.
There are approximately 1,100 people living with HIV in Kent County, yet it is estimated that 20% of those individuals are not yet aware of their status.
“We have the resources to stop the virus, we just need to educate people about the risks and give them the tools to be healthy,” explains Kevin Gierman, HIV CTR Manager at Red Project.
The Red Project also operates a syringe access program in the Grand Rapids area to prevent the transmission of HIV. The CDC recommends that a new sterile syringe be used for each and every injection to prevent the spread of bloodborne viruses such as HIV and Hepatitis C.
“Syringe access has been extremely effective in GrandRapids. According to Michigan Department of Community Health the percentage of total HIV/AIDS cases related to injection drug use has decreased from 25% to under 10%, since 1998,” said Steve Alsum, Executive Director at Red Project. “Our program results in lives saved, but also in incredible savings to the public healthcare system.”
A donation of as little as $25 (registration cost) can make a huge impact in someone’s life, even saving one.
Registration for the AIDS Walk + Run can be found online at www.redprojectgr.org/aidswalk or by calling the Red Project office at 616-456-9063.
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