AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Sunday

On Sunday, Oct. 16, more than 25,000 people are expected to take to the streets for AIDS Walk Los Angeles, which benefits AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) and other local AIDS organizations. AIDS Walk Los Angeles is Southern California's largest HIV/AIDS fundraising event and has raised nearly $50 million for AIDS Project Los Angeles and other local AIDS organizations.

For the first time in its history, APLA will provide cash grants to HIV/AIDS organizations outside of Los Angeles County. The grants will be allocated to three organizations affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: AIDS Alabama, Montrose Clinic of Houston, and NO/AIDS Task Force of New Orleans, which was forced to cancel its own AIDS Walk scheduled for Sept. 25.

VIP Guests and Celebrity Attendees: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Roma Maffia (Nip/Tuck), Rita Moreno (West Side Story, OZ), Kathy Najimy (The Kathy and Mo Show), Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond), Jai Rodriguez (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy), Richard Schiff (Ray, The West Wing), Hal Sparks (Queer as Folk), John Spencer (The West Wing), Bruce Vilanch (Hairspray) and others. The opening will also feature special performances by Grammy Award-winning artist Melissa Manchester and television, film and Broadway star Sheryl Lee Ralph.

AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. Founded by four friends in 1982, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit www.apla.org.

AIDS Walk Los Angeles was founded in 1985 by Craig R. Miller and his organization of activists, MZA Events. Miller is the originator of the AIDS Walk fundraising model and has raised nearly $300 million for leading AIDS charities nationwide.

For more information about this event, go to the Bgay.com Calendar.