Florida AIDS Walk Raises $351,500 for HIV/AIDS Services in Florida

100% of Funds Raised by the More Than 2000 Walkers and 175 Teams Goes Toward HIV/AIDS Testing, Prevention, Education, Treatment and Support Services in the State

By: AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Ft Lauderdale, FL - March 20, 2009

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is proud to announce that Florida AIDS Walk 2009 raised $351,500 for HIV/AIDS services in Florida.  Thanks to the more than 2,000 walkers, 175 teams, 400 volunteers, numerous virtual walkers, team captains, fundraisers, donors and sponsors, the 6.2-mile, 2-hour walk was a resounding success helping not only to support HIV/AIDS testing, prevention, education, treatment and support services, but also to raise awareness that nearly 125,000 Floridians are living with HIV/AIDS.

Actor and activist Blair Underwood joined thousands of caring individuals from across the state this past Sunday March 15th in Ft. Lauderdale in Huizenga Plaza to participate in the Walk. In a particularly moving moment, a young HIV-positive woman named Cerya Martin, who had just been released from the hospital the previous day, stirred the audience with her pre-Walk remarks from the stage reminding all in attendance of the importance of their participation. Presented by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), AHF Pharmacy, Out of the Closet Thrift Stores, this year’s Walk also benefits Broward Human Rights Initiative, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida and The Pet Project.  For more information, please visit: www.FloridaAIDSWalk.org. 

According to the Florida Department of Health, it is estimated that 36.4 of every 100,000 Floridians aged 13 years and older were newly infected with HIV in 2006.  This rate is more than 60 percent higher than the national rate of 22.8 per 100,000 population.  Although the epidemic affects every county in the state, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties are at the epicenter of new HIV infections in Florida and the epidemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on racial/ethnic groups. One example is the alarming rate of HIV infection in black women.  For fifteen years HIV/AIDS has been the leading cause of death among black women aged 25-44 in Florida.  In Broward County, the rate of HIV infection in black women is 1 in 55, compared to 1 in 892 among white women.  In Miami-Dade, the rate is 1 in 43 black women infected compared to 1 in 482 white women.

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About AHF
In Florida, AHF serves more than 15,000 people living with HIV/AIDS through its programs, including: a statewide disease management program, a mobile health unit, two AHF Magic Johnson Healthcare Centers located in Jacksonville and Miami, the AHF NorthPoint healthcare center in Ft. Lauderdale, the AHF Pharmacy network and its Medicare Advantage Part D Special Needs program called Positive Healthcare Partners serving Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.  AHF recently opened an Out of the Closet Thrift Store in Wilton Manors, offering free HIV testing and treatment referral through an AHF Pharmacy built adjacent to the store.  For more information, please visit: www.aidshealth.org