By Annie Phun

Sports Editor

  On Oct. 15, the annual AIDS Walk was held at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. With thousands of people attending the event, Gabrielino took part by sending members from Key Club, Red Cross, and GSA to volunteer and walk.

  In order to participate in this event, a person had to register as either a walker or a runner on the AIDS Walk website. There was no fee for walkers, but runners had the requirement of raising $300 in donations from their community.

  On the day of the walk, everyone had to meet at the steps of LA City Hall. When the walk started, participants would trek through a prearranged route of 10 kilometers, exploring the streets of downtown before circling back to the finish line, also located at LA City Hall.

  As walkers followed a map through town, they were able to see famous structures such as the LA Times building and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel for the first time. Some people were allowed to enter inside if the owners chose to keep their businesses open.

  “This walk really opened my eyes to what history Los Angeles holds,” stated sophomore Sarah Vuong, a member of Key Club. “I loved seeing all the ancient buildings that still exist.”

  Volunteers, including those from Gabrielino who opted out of walking, were placed at checkpoints to hand out snacks and drinks, as well as spray water on those who needed it. In order to become a volunteer, a person simply needed to sign up on the website, attend an orientation event prior to the event, and show up at their checkpoint on the day of.

  Based almost entirely on public support, this event was held in order to raise awareness for HIV and AIDS, the fifteenth leading cause of death in the world.

  “I walked because I support the cause,” explained freshman Julia Magallanes, a member of Red Cross. “Victims are in need of help, and we’re the ones that can give them that.”

  This year, the APLA Health and 20 other organizations funding this event were able to collect $1.5 million from donations for further treatments and research regarding the disease.

  The money will be dedicated to funding the services that these organizations provide in specific locations throughout Los Angeles. There are approximately 40 million people worldwide who suffer from HIV and AIDS.