UCSF Rallies Community to Raise $200K in AIDS Walk San Francisco
With more than 10 teams already formed, UC San Francisco is looking to beat last year’s fundraising total by raising $200,000 in AIDS Walk San Francisco.
The annual trek to raise funds for HIV programs and services in the Bay Area is scheduled for Sun., July 16 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
Support AIDS Walk SF
You can support AIDS Walk San Francisco by joining one of the many UCSF groups or by donating to a team.
“We set our fundraising goal very high because we’re hoping to spark the spirit of activism that our community has shown in recent months,” said Lisa Cisneros, co-chair of the UCSF AIDS Walk Steering Committee and a senior director in University Relations. “With the successful Women’s March and the March for Science, we’ve seen increased engagement with an enormous desire to take action on issues that our community cares about.”
As co-chairs of the UCSF AIDS Walk Steering Committee, Cisneros and Georgina Lopez, manager of UCSF’s Global Health Sciences, are leading a coalition of teams that represent departments across the University.
“We welcome all members of our community, as well as friends and family members to join a UCSF team, contribute to a walker or donate to this important cause,” Lopez said.
This year, AIDS Walk San Francisco’s primary grant beneficiaries are Project Open Hand, Positive Resource Center and the Golden Compass Program at Ward 86 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General to continue to support the cutting-edge clinic with a continuum of services for long-term survivors of HIV.
With participation from institutions like UCSF – which has consistently been a top-fundraising team for years – AIDS Walk San Francisco has raised more than $88 million for HIV programs and services in the Bay Area since it began in 1987.
“I have worked with and for individuals affected and infected with HIV for over 25 years, everything from outreach and education to testing to even providing practical help for support animals,” said Jay Dwyer, an Ambulatory Care Patient Manager at UCSF and a studies coordinator at the UCSF Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group. “I walk because the San Francisco AIDS Walk is every bit as important today as it ever was in making a difference in the lives of those affected by HIV.”
Robert Mansfield, an administrative officer and AIDS Walk captain for Global Health Sciences team, again is emerging as a frontrunner on fundraising leaderboard. Mansfield, a longtime supporter of AIDS Walk San Francisco, also serves as treasurer of the AIDS Walk San Francisco Foundation board. The governing body of AIDS Walk San Francisco, the board oversees the event’s production and finances and determines how the event’s net proceeds are distributed to beneficiaries.
“In this era of activism, I hope that the UCSF community will come out to raise funds in support of programs and services that benefit people living with HIV and the health care and research that combats this disease and aims to find a cure,” Mansfield said.
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