WILMINGTON — AIDS Walk Delaware, presented by AIDS Delaware and the Delaware HIV Consortium, will take place in person on Saturday, Sept. 18, with walkers stepping off at 10 a.m.

This year’s walk celebrates 35 years of AIDS Walks in Delaware, which for nearly two decades have taken place in both Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach.

Each city’s walk takes place in Brandywine Park and Grove Park, respectively.
Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach walkers, and anyone who simply wants to fundraise without attending in person, are invited to go online to register, donate and collect donations. It is free to walk, and walkers meeting a $35 goal receive a commemorative t-shirt. Anyone with a Facebook account can encourage walkers with cheerful comments on their fundraising pages.

Walk check-in begins at 9 a.m. in Wilmington, at Brandywine Park, 1080 North Park Drive, and in Rehoboth Beach, Grove Park at Columbia Avenue and Grove Street. Walkers are encouraged to visit the Knowledge Neighborhood at their respective park before and after walking. Dogs are welcome at both locations.

Walkers are asked to follow CDC and state guidelines and safety protocols, and at the time of this release, masks are encouraged, but not required.

AIDS Walk Delaware 2021 is courtesy of Greenhill Pharmacy.

The walk strives to advance HIV awareness, reduce stigma and endorse HIV-informed community health for all Delawareans.

AIDS Walk Delaware is the state’s largest HIV/AIDS fundraising and awareness event and has historically attracted over 600 participants and volunteers, raising nearly $80,000. Funds support, free HIV testing, HIV-specific mental health counseling, education and prevention programs, housing services and case management services.

Currently there are 3,629 people in Delaware living with HIV. Statistically, 63% are people of color; 48% are LGBTQ+ identifying; average age is 55 years old and approximately 54% are living at or below the poverty line.

“Our case managers have confirmed that COVID-19 has created additional burdens for people living with HIV, people whose immune systems can be especially vulnerable,” John Beckley, director of development and marketing for AIDS Delaware, said in a prepared statement. “Many are struggling with isolation, depression and anxiety. This year, we walk with those folks in our hearts.”

A 2021 Delaware survey of people living with HIV uncovered that food insecurity, loss of access to transportation and unstable housing have added to people’s concerns. As a result of pandemic economic impacts, 11% of people surveyed had moved in with others, while others are navigating homelessness. Closed libraries limited people’s ability to access the internet for job searches and other services.

Medically, the survey results showed that 7% of people surveyed had reported receiving positive COVID-19 diagnoses. Meanwhile, 13% of those surveyed reported missing medication doses (HIV medications and others) and 20% reported missing or delaying routine HIV testing during the pandemic, due to transportation and communication challenges.

As of 2019, UNAIDS data showed that the number of people worldwide living with HIV was on the rise, but the number of new annual HIV infections had fallen, as had those dying from the illness. This was attributed mainly to pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP, which can drastically reduce the risk of contracting the virus if one has access to it.

Walk funds also benefit other HIV service organizations, including Ministry of Caring, Beautiful Gate Outreach Center, Latin American Community Center, William J. Holloway Community Program and CAMP Rehoboth.

For more information, visit the website or contact John Beckley (jbeckley@aidsdelaware.org; 652-6776, x221) for Wilmington or JulieAnne Cross (aidswalkrehoboth@gmail.com; 588-3266) for Rehoboth Beach.