AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) invites you to Show Up and Show Out with us at AIDS Run & Walk Chicago on Saturday, September 30th at Soldier Field! This annual event has been bringing together people from all across Chicagoland to raise awareness and funds for those affected by HIV and AIDS since 1991 and has been managed by AFC since 2001. This year, we are encouraging participants...
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By Tyline Burgess, Communications Manager, AFC
CHICAGO, IL – This year’s Women’s Connection Summit of Hope truly lived up to its name by restoring hope and helping to connect women to the resources they need. The free expo was thoughtfully curated and, hosted by AIDS Foundation Chicago’s Dept of Community Partnerships & Special Projects Headed by Cynthia...
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By Livvie Avrick
Meet Chef Blāque, award-winning sugar artist and founder of Black Rose Pastries -- and one of the chocolatiers for this year’s World of Chocolate on February 17th. He is the winner of Netflix’s “Sugar Rush” and participant and judge on Food Network and other baking competition shows. We talked with Chef Blāque about why he enjoys participating...
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This year’s US Conference on HIV and AIDS was held on the island of Puerto Rico in its capital city, San Juan . The island is rich in history with San Juan (founded in 1521) being the oldest city in the US territory and the island itself, after being colonized by Spain and later the US (as a result of the Spanish-American war ), is considered by some to be the oldest colony in the...
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Story and interview by Livvie Avrick
For Joel Jackson, Director of Inclusion and Equity Strategies for the Urban Health Initiative at the University of Chicago Medicine (UCM), participating in AIDS Run & Walk Chicago is an opportunity to contribute to a healthier society – and when a community is healthy, everyone benefits. Joel is part of a fundraising team for the Chicago...
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By Ella Shapiro
Before Margaret Russell began her medical career as a family physician and certified HIV specialist she worked in technical theatre. While working as a stage manager, Margaret made many friends within the LGBTQ+ community. As her friendships developed, Margaret shared her...
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By Ella Shapiro
One day in 2014, Chris Pazdernik was taking a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train when they noticed an ad for that year’s AIDS Run & Walk Chicago fundraising event. Five years prior, Chris had tested positive for HIV. At the time, they were left with a lot of insecurities. They didn’t know what kind...
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By Bailey Williams
I spent most mornings in the summer of 2016 running before work. I’d run a neighborhood route, often in the streets when cars were few, the sun was rising, and nothing but birds and insects could be heard. I was in the best shape of my life and had finally gotten down to easily running 7-minute miles. When the annual AIDS Run & Walk Chicago came around...
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By Bailey Williams
A 26-year-old pregnant woman started experiencing sinus-related symptoms and assumed it was pneumonia. Instead, she tested positive for the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and had to be intubated at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Illinois. An older woman in the same hospital also tested positive for COVID-19 but begged to not receive a breathing tube. If it came...
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AFC's 2019 Annual Report: Turning Point
Review photos from the event
Hi, everyone! Thank you all so much for coming out tonight, and thank you, Terri, for introducing me and for stepping up to lead our Board. You and I have run, swum and biked together through our endurance event program TEAM TO END AIDS so many times, and I’m glad to be alongside you on this new journey...
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