AIDS WALK MARCHES PAST GOAL

John Hayden

Fun and games and a lot of walking took place on Fort Lauderdale Beach on March 18. As the sun came up over the beach, hundreds gathered for the annual Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival. Most teams wore matching shirts, while Team FlockFest wore bright red inflated balloons you could see from far away.

They raised over two million dollars, a total that is record-breaking and also exceeds the goal of $1.5M. AHF (AIDS Healthcare Foundation) produces the 5k and matches funds raised.

Dozens of organizations set up tents to promote their work, including Afro South Florida Pride. Board member Jay Muller said that events like this make contact with hardto-reach groups.

“There’s a gap in the community when it comes to LGBTQ in South Florida. Afro Prides sits pretty well to bring more awareness to the Black community because there’s stigma. This is an outlet for them to feel secure to come out and have support.”

Before the walk stepped off, there was a brief ceremony on stage hosted by Kitty Meow. Beneficiaries were brought up, and a ceremonial check for the larger-thanexpected amount of two million dollars was brought on stage. With that, the fired-up crowd got into position at the starting line.

As they started up the route, Cheer Fort Lauderdale threw each other in the air and raised the excitement level just as high.

“As charitable cheerleaders, spreading cheer and awareness across South Florida is the core value of why we volunteer at community events,” founder Aleksandr Dissan said. “Cheer & Dance Fort Lauderdale is passionate about supporting the LGBTQ+ community. We are honored to be part of Florida AIDS Walk and give our support to not only the walkers, but also to those living with HIV in Florida.”

After the walk, the legendary DJ Citizen kept the mood going until it was time for the headliner, Flo Rida, to take the stage. He’s played this gig before and was very excited to return. Once he got the microphone he wasn’t giving it up. His set went well past the expected time and the crowd was totally there for it.

“He is great in helping to spread awareness and create more impact around the epidemic,” AHF’s Imara Canady said. “He’s so exciting and a great performer.”

One beneficiary is the World AIDS Museum (WAM), and has teamed up with FlockFest. WAM Executive Director, Terry Dyer, said pairing up with other groups maximizes the impact.

“FlockFest is a huge community partner in our area. We thought it would be a wonderful idea to bring the balloons and all they do for a great partnership.”

Donations to various teams made by the end of the month will still be matched by AHF.