A fundraiser for AIDS and HIV awareness has rescheduled to be an online event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The AIDS Walk Ohio 2020, originally set to take place on April 11, will move from an in-person walk to a virtual experience, the organization announced
“Walkers” can register to pledge to raise $50, in addition to completing the AIDS Walk Ohio: The Virtual Year Challenge.
“This challenge is kind of like a competition mixed in with the virtual scavenger hunt asking participants to complete a number of challenges,” Craig Diaz with Equitas Health told NBC affiliate NBC4i. “And, of course, respect social distancing by completing the challenges on social media.”
Equitas Health has been organizing the event for 25 years, Diaz said.
AIDS Walk Ohio also said that will have live-stream video performances on April 11 from its Co-Chair Anisa Love and Virginia West, as well as a speech from Bill Hardy, President and CEO of Equitas Health.
“The safety and health of our participants, volunteers, and staff are our top concerns, and [we] feel this is not the right time to plan for a large gathering,” the organization said in a statement. “Despite the postponement of the in-person gathering, we are encouraging you to stay involved with the AIDS Walk Ohio — still donate and fundraise for HIV/AIDS service organizations which rely on the Walk funding.”
The organization also encouraged participants to share facts about HIV and AIDS online, saying “advocacy is a very important part of AIDS Walk Ohio that can still continue virtually.”
As of Tuesday, Ohio has 564 confirmed cases of the coronavirus spread across 49 counties, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The virus has killed eight people in the state and hospitalized 145.
To register for the AIDS Walk Ohio: The Virtual Year Challenge, click here.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Ohio Aids Walk Participant” by AIDS Walk Ohio.
