AIDS WALK

This morning my roommate Gina and I walked in the 26th Annual AIDS WALK Los Angeles. It was a short 10k which is nothing at all compared to the 60 miles I walked just three short weeks ago for breast cancer. Yet, it was still nonetheless for an amazing and important cause.

The following is a short article about the walk from KTLA:

"Thousands toughed it through the streets of West Hollywood in the rain Sunday morning all to be a part of the 26th Annual AIDS Walk.
The 6.2 mile walk kicked off at 10:00 a.m. Sunday in West Hollywood Park where an estimated 30,000 supporters, including several celebrities and politicians, gathered to raise money.
About 60,000 people in Los Angeles are affected by HIV and AIDS, and more than 33 million suffer from the pandemic worldwide.
This year's AIDS Walk comes just days after the announcement of a $52 million budget cut to California's HIV/AIDS care and prevention programs.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke at the event, reminding participants to keep up hope despite the lack of public funding dedicated to the cause.
"When I was in the leg in 1995 we were leading the country in AIDS programs," Villaraigosa said, "It is demoralizing but that's why we walk today."
The walk is expected to bring in $3 million to help low-income Angelenos living with HIV and AIDS.
In the walk's 26 years, it has established itself as one of the biggest fundraisers for AIDS in the nation, bringing in a total of $66 million."

The only negative aspect of the walk were the awful few people rioting the event. It really infuriates and tears me a part inside that there are still people in today's world that still do not accept homosexuality. I mean, WTF, it's 2010!! I just do not understand people that cannot accept love in all it's forms. Plus, this walk was about saving lives. Thankfully, there weren't many of these ignorant people on the course and no violence came of it. Actually, all the walkers did as they passed by these groups was flip them off. So at one point, all Gina and I could see was a sea of F-U's in the air. Quite the perfect response if you ask me. : )

All in all, it was a wonderful event and I am so proud of Gina and I for getting up this cold and wet morning and being a part of such a great event.