On June 1st, 1986, 4,000 people came together at an event called "From All Walks of Life", a fundraising walk to support the services of AIDS Action Committee. Twenty-two years ago, the AIDS epidemic was in its infancy, and a diagnosis of HIV was a death sentence. Many of us lost loved ones, friends and co-workers to an illness we knew very little about.

Today, that event is known as AIDS Walk Boston. Since the beginning, over 200,000 people have participated in AIDS Walk Boston, raising over $30 million total for the programs and services of AIDS Action Committee. The Walk brings together approximately 15,000 community members each year for a common cause: to remember those we have lost to HIV/AIDS, support those who are living with this disease and stop the epidemic.

The AIDS Walk sends a clear message to the community that much more work still needs to be done. Unfortunately, we won't be celebrating the end of the epidemic - not yet - but we will rejoice that people still continue to care, still show up to walk in solidarity and still give generously to our cause.

Please join us at AIDS Walk Boston on Sunday, June 1st. By participating, you're joining a movement that's taking steps to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, prevent the spread of the epidemic in our community, support over 25,000 individuals in Massachusetts that are living with HIV/AIDS, remember all those who have been lost to this terrible epidemic and raise funds to benefit the programs and services of AIDS Action Committee. One walker reflects on the Walk, "when you see all those people gathered together for a common cause and everyone is hugging each other, sure, there is sadness, but it is also a really wonderful and rewarding experience."