THOUSANDS TO “WALK, OUT LOUD” FOR LGBTQ+ HEALTH EQUITY AT DAP HEALTH’S 2022 DESERT AIDS WALK
What better way to remember those lost to HIV/AIDS than to unite as a community, raise our collective voice, and keep advocating for health equality, just as our brothers and sisters did at the start of the epidemic four decades ago
Two thousand community members — from babies in strollers to seniors — are expected to participate in DAP Health’s annual Desert AIDS Walk, which will kick off at Ruth Hardy Park on Saturday, October 29, tracing a route through downtown Palm Springs. The theme of this year’s event, whose presenting sponsor is Desert Care Network, is “Walk, Out Loud,” which places its focus squarely on advocacy and on uniting the entire community in the fight for LGBTQ+ health equity.
“Unfortunately, history is repeating itself,” says David Brinkman, CEO of DAP Health, an advocacy-based health care organization that provides service to more than 10,000 individuals annually throughout the Coachella Valley. “With queer rights falling under attack across our nation, and our government’s dispiriting lack of urgency in responding to the growing Monkeypox (Mpox) crisis, 2022 looks, sounds, and feels just like the early ’80s, when HIV/AIDS was decimating our community and politicians turned their backs, refusing to act. As we learned then, silence equals death, and when our leaders abandon us, it is up to members of our community to join forces and advocate on our own behalf. Only by coming out in unprecedented numbers and raising our collective voice this year can we show local, state, and federal officials that their apathy concerning LGBTQ people is absolutely unacceptable.”
Thank you to our sponsor NBC Palm Springs
NBC Palm Springs featured a different patient and client story each Tuesday in October to highlight the impact of participating in the Desert AIDS Walk. Watch a few of them below.
Walk, Out Loud
“Join us! Walk and raise your voice for Health Justice and LGBTQ+ Rights. Lace-up your walking shoes, join arms with your community and be an advocate for change. Together we will end epidemics whether HIV, COVID or Monkeypox.” - DAP Health CEO David Brinkman.
Register. Walk. Donate!
Your support helps provide comprehensive and compassionate health care to over 10,000 people in the Coachella Valley!
Registration: Opens at 7:30 AM
Urban Yoga: 7:30 AM
Walk Kick Off: 9:00 AM
Wellness Village: Opens at 8 AM till 1 PM
You have always made the difference ...
The money raised thanks to the perennially popular pet- and family-friendly affair will go directly to fund DAP Health’s advocacy and health care efforts, with 2022 proceeds also benefitting a handful of community partners, including The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, Brothers of the Desert, The L Fund and Queer Works.
Join Us in Ruth Hardy Park on October 29, 2022 ...
We invite you to gather with friends and family to walk with us on Saturday, October 29, 2022. Whether you start a team or walk as an individual, every step and dollar raised makes an impact in the lives of people living with HIV. Every year, Desert AIDS Walk participants raise significant funds and awareness for the End the HIV Epidemic, while celebrating survivors, and honoring lives lost to AIDS.
