FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is back with one of its biggest fundraisers of the year -- the Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival -- drawing thousands to Fort Lauderdale Beach to raise awareness and fight stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS.
Cheers, music and a sense of unity filled the air Saturday morning as participants lined up along A1A for the 21st annual walk.
“It’s an event that shares the importance of love, togetherness,” one attendee said.
More than 2,000 walkers took part, many with personal reasons for showing up.
“We’ve always wanted to do this ever since we were kids,” said Princess Williams.
For others, the event is a way to honor those lost during the height of the AIDS epidemic.
Decades later, participants say progress in treatment and awareness has changed the outlook for those living with HIV.
“It’s way different from how it used to be. There’s more knowledge now and good medicine,” another walker said. “You see people wanting to live.”
Still, advocates say the fight is far from over.
Organizers highlighted concerns about the future of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, known as ADAP, which helps provide HIV medication and insurance to low-income individuals.
“We are doing everything we can to protect it,” said Tracy Jones with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “Life-saving drugs. They are the reason most people are alive.”
According to state data, more than 51,000 people in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are living with HIV.
Saturday’s event raised nearly $3 million for 12 South Florida organizations working to combat HIV and AIDS and support those affected.
The walk was followed by a music festival, headlined by Queen Latifah, who brought energy to the stage and capped off the day’s events.
For many in the crowd, the moment was about remembrance as much as celebration.
Organizers say beyond the fundraising, the event continues to bring people together -- spreading messages of love, acceptance and hope.
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