UCSF AIDS Walk Teams to Go for the Gold Again

UC San Francisco, a frequent high-performing team at AIDS Walk San Francisco, will again for the gold – the honor given to the top fundraising organizations participating in the annual event.

UCSF has already begun raising money and rallying faculty, staff, students and trainees to raise money in the 6.2-mile trek through San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

Last year, UCSF collectively raised $57,482, coming in third place behind Gap Inc. ($67,758) and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation ($58,040.) That performance gave UCSF the “Gold Team” status, which means the UCSF team will again get a group photo and other perks. Read about last year’s walk. 

AIDS Walk San Francisco is slated for Sunday, July 21. Sign-in begins at 9 a.m., the opening ceremony starts at 9:45 a.m. and the walk commences at 10:30 a.m.

As in years past, UCSF, the second-largest employer in the City, has formed separate teams in a friendly competition to determine who will raise the most funds and win the UCSF AIDS Walk Trophy.

Currently, UCSF has 14 registered teams affiliated with the University. To join a UCSF team, go to the registered teams webpage.

Those who can’t walk at the event can donate to a co-worker on one of the teams.

This year, the AIDS Research Institute, Campus Life Services and University Relations, are sponsoring the event. Those who do walk will be treated to a complimentary breakfast and lunch at the UCSF team table in Sharon Meadows, where the walk begins and ends.

Those who contribute at least $25 to AIDS Walk San Francisco will receive a free T-shirt. The design has yet to be determined and will be shared in a web story once it is finalized.

AIDS in San Francisco and Kenya

To kick off the event at UCSF, the AIDS Walk Steering Committee is inviting members of the campus community to a special program on Friday, May 24 from noon to 1 p.m. in the School of Nursing, room N 225.

Paul Volberding, MD, director of the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF, will provide introductory remarks at the kick-off event and introduce speakers who will present a status report of their work on the frontlines of treating HIV/AIDS both in San Francisco and in Kenya.

Invited speakers will include:

• Moupali Das, MD, MPH, an assistant clinical professor in the Divisions of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and director of research in the HIV Prevention Section at the San Francisco Department of Public Heath and
• Serah Gitome and James Ayieko: Colleagues from Kenya who are finishing up their MPH degree at UC Berkeley and work in the FACES program a family-focused, comprehensive HIV prevention, care, and treatment program working collaboratively with the Kenyan Ministries of Health (MOH) to build sustainable HIV care systems.

History of UCSF, AIDS and the Walk

Since the disease was first reported in 1981, UCSF has been fighting this global epidemic. UCSF physicians and scientists have made incredible advances – from the development of new drugs and promising vaccine candidates to breakthroughs in clinical research and care to establishing groundbreaking prevention and education programs in dozens of countries. Read more about UCSF and AIDS. 

Today, UCSF continues to rank among the top medical schools in the nation, and ranks No. 1 for its medical program in AIDS, as it has done every year since US News & World Report began ranking the specialty area in the 1990s. Read the full story.

In 1982, San Francisco AIDS Foundation was established in response to the health crisis of the then-unnamed HIV/AIDS epidemic. Through education, advocacy, and direct services for prevention and care, San Francisco AIDS Foundation follows its mission to radically reduce new infections in San Francisco, refusing to accept that HIV transmission is inevitable. 

In 1987, the first AIDS Walk San Francisco was created and produced by Craig R. Miller and his organization of activists, MZA Events. Designed to raise urgently needed funds for San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and to battle the stigma that so many associated with HIV/AIDS, the first AIDS Walk raised $667,000 with the help of more than 6,000 compassionate Bay Area residents.

Over the past 27 years, AIDS Walk San Francisco has inspired thousands of people to walk, millions more to donate, and has raised nearly $80 million to fight HIV/AIDS. 

The funds raised at the event enable San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and many other HIV/AIDS service organizations throughout the Bay Area, including those at UCSF, to provide prevention, care, and advocacy programs for thousands of men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS.