FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. \u2014 The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is back with one of its biggest fundraisers of the year — the Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival — drawing thousands to Fort Lauderdale Beach to raise awareness and fight stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS.<\/p>\n
Cheers, music and a sense of unity filled the air Saturday morning as participants lined up along A1A for the 21st annual walk.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an event that shares the importance of love, togetherness,\u201d one attendee said.<\/p>\n
More than 2,000 walkers took part, many with personal reasons for showing up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always wanted to do this ever since we were kids,\u201d said Princess Williams.<\/p>\n
For others, the event is a way to honor those lost during the height of the AIDS epidemic.<\/p>\n
Decades later, participants say progress in treatment and awareness has changed the outlook for those living with HIV.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s way different from how it used to be. There\u2019s more knowledge now and good medicine,\u201d another walker said. \u201cYou see people wanting to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, advocates say the fight is far from over.<\/p>\n
Organizers highlighted concerns about the future of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, known as ADAP, which helps provide HIV medication and insurance to low-income individuals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are doing everything we can to protect it,\u201d said Tracy Jones with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. \u201cLife-saving drugs. They are the reason most people are alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to state data, more than 51,000 people in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are living with HIV.<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s event raised nearly $3 million for 12 South Florida organizations working to combat HIV and AIDS and support those affected.<\/p>\n
The walk was followed by a music festival, headlined by Queen Latifah, who brought energy to the stage and capped off the day\u2019s events.<\/p>\n
For many in the crowd, the moment was about remembrance as much as celebration.<\/p>\n
Organizers say beyond the fundraising, the event continues to bring people together — spreading messages of love, acceptance and hope.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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