Some observers are calling Sunday’s 41st annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles one of the most consequential fundraisers in the event’s history for a community facing societal adversity and ongoing reductions in federal funding.
“This year particularly, we’ve seen unprecedented federal funding cuts to our programs — services for people living with HIV and also to our queer-health programs and our HIV prevention programs as well,” Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health, which organizes the event, told the Park Labrea News and Beverly Press. “We are aware that more cuts are planned and are going to be implemented in 2026. Fundraising and awareness raising and advocacy around AIDS Walk 2025 is even more important than it is in a typical year.”
APLA Health, which was founded in 1983, is a multi-site operation, with eight federally qualified health center locations. It serves more than 22,000 people each year, with a strong focus on people with or at risk for HIV.
The agency also provides healthcare, food, housing and essential support services to the Los Angeles area LGBTQ+ community. It has an added mission to “end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in our lifetime.”
The walk supports APLA Health and other HIV/AIDS service organizations in Los Angeles County. In 2024, the AIDS Walk raised $1.16 million.
This year’s theme is “Community is the Cure,” which organizers say is meant to call attention to the fact that the fight against HIV/AIDS is not over and the community, rather than the federal government, must lead the way toward finding a cure.
“This October, we’re walking toward a future shaped by care, courage, and collective power,” the event website states. “In a time when HIV prevention programs are being gutted and access to care is under threat, our community is stepping up — louder, prouder, and more united than ever.
“Whether you’ve been walking for decades or just found your reason to join, you’re part of something bigger: a movement rooted in love, resilience, and the belief that no one gets left behind. Together, we’re not just remembering what’s been lost — we’re building what comes next.”
Sunday’s walk is scheduled for 11 a.m. The approximately 2-mile trek begins at West Hollywood Park, 647 N San Vicente Blvd., heads north to Santa Monica Boulevard, east to La Cienega Boulevard, turns around onto west Doheny Drive, east to San Vicente Boulevard and south as it returns to West Hollywood Park.
Street closures will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. along North San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. along Santa Monica Boulevard between North Doheny Drive and North La Cienega Boulevard.
Additional information is available at aidswalkla.org/faq.