28th Annual AIDS Walk Colorado
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR again, and we’re proud to have such an enthusiast group of people join us at Cheesman Park for the annual AIDS Walk event.
WHAT IS AIDS WALK COLORADO?
AIDS Walk Colorado serves as a day to remember those we have lost to AIDS, as well as celebrate the lives of those who are living with the disease. Nearly 10,000 people from throughout the state come together to raise awareness of HIV’s continuing presence in Colorado, as well as to raise money for vital services for HIV/AIDS clients of Colorado Health Network’s regional Colorado AIDS Project offices in Denver, Grand Junction, and Fort Collins, as well as Howard Dental Center in Denver.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT AT AIDS WALK COLORADO?
The event includes a 5K Walk and Run (course certified by USA Track & Field and a Boulder Bolder qualifier), as well as the Celebration of Life Festival with vendors, food, and a host of other activities!
NEW ROUTE
With the growth of Denver’s Capitol Hill (and its traffic congestion), AIDS Walk Colorado has created a new route for the 5K Walk and Run. This new route will keep walkers and runners north of 8th Ave, eliminating the need to close this very busy thoroughfare, keeping our participants safe, and allowing RTD public transportation to remain unaltered. The new route also allows for a more challenging workout for our 5K Run participants!
AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT
One of the most touching components of AIDS Walk Colorado includes the Memorial Garden located at the Cheesman Park Pavilion. Many event participants specifically request to see panels that have been created to honor loved ones. These and other Colorado-specific panels will be on display throughout the event. Event attendees can also add their messages of hope and remembrance to this year’s tribute banners and see tributes from years past.
DIVA DASH
The .5K Diva Dash Stiletto Fun Run is one of the most entertaining components of AIDS Walk Colorado! Strap on your favorite pair of heels and don your festive diva garb, then hit the pavement for a quick 1,461 feet of click-clacking fun! Or, if you’re not brave enough to run, pick a spot along the short route or near the finish line to cheer on our divas!
Men, women, and children are welcome to participate. No registration fee is required for the Diva Dash — just a pair of heels! If you forget your heels, we’ll have some in the park that you can borrow!
VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
Produced in conjunction with Colorado Gay Volleyball Association, this grass tournament is a day-long competition. The tournament features several rounds of competition in traditional bracket-elimination style for teams of all skill levels — beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
HOW DOES AIDS WALK COLORADO HELP OUR COMMUNITY?
Funds raised by AIDS Walk Colorado help pay for services provided to individuals in our state living with or affected by HIV.
Colorado Health Network (made up of Denver Colorado AIDS Project, Southern Colorado AIDS Project, Northern Colorado AIDS Project, and Western Colorado AIDS Project, along with Howard Dental Center in Denver) serves nearly 6,000 individuals annually with comprehensive case management, individual and group counseling, transportation assistance, housing services, insurance and connection to care, oral health care, and nutrition services that provided nearly 150,000 meals in 2014.
In addition, CHN’s prevention services include educational outreach to at-risk populations and free testing for HIV and STIs. CHN distributes more than 100,000 free condoms annually and hosts legal syringe-exchange programs in all areas of the state, removing nearly 123,000 used syringes from our communities, and thereby that many possible HIV transmissions.
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