Today is World AIDS Day.  Every year on December 1 we reflect on the progress of our movement, remember loved ones we have lost, and lift up those living with HIV and AIDS today.  For 40 years, AIDS Foundation Chicago has been fighting for and serving the HIV community.  We are grateful to our steadfast supporters like you who have kept us pushing forward.

On this World AIDS Day, we are pleased to invite you to AFC40, a gala commemorating 40 years of service to the HIV community from AIDS Foundation Chicago, taking place Saturday, April 5, at the Geraghty.

Tickets are available now. 

At AFC40, we will also recognize the immense contributions of two long-time supporters of our work to end the HIV epidemic:

Mr. Craig Johnson, who will receive the Lori Kaufman Volunteer Award, and ITW, who will receive the Corporate Impact Award.

Craig Johnson

AFC is thrilled to honor Craig's extraordinary leadership at AFC40. Craig is the Senior Program Officer for the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation. In this role, he oversees a portfolio of charitable initiatives that include the foundation’s Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarships, the Excellence in Medicine Awards, two Leadership Development Institute cohorts for medical trainees, as well as an LGBTQ Health Fellowship consortium. He directs various grant-funded projects that support health equity, restorative justice and workforce diversity in medicine. Craig was a member of AFC's Board of Directors from 2016-2022. Soon after serving as chair of the Policy & Advocacy Committee, he was elected Vice Chair of the board, and he served as Board Chair from 2020 -2022. He led AFC through the COVID pandemic and the national racial reckoning that followed and was a stabilizing voice during a turbulent era. Craig provided board leadership as AFC developed its first-ever racial equity action plan, which is now in its fourth year.  He joined AFC’s Honorary Board in 2023.

Before joining the AMA, Craig held positions with Rush University Medical Center, the American Bar Association, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and George Washington University. Craig has served as Governing Board chair and Honorary Board member of AIDS Foundation Chicago, and led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diagnosed in 2004 with HIV, Craig’s professional career in the HIV sector began as a research assistant and community health promoter in the Infectious Diseases Unit at Rush University Medical Center. At Rush, Craig developed communications strategies to counteract health disparities and encourage more underrepresented populations to participate in HIV clinical trials.

He is a national leader in LGBTQ+ healthcare, HIV care, and health equity, and has held numerous advisory, advocacy, and volunteer charitable board roles for nonprofit, civic, and governmental organizations in the field. He has been recognized as a “Notable LGBTQ Executive” by Crain’s Chicago Business, and is a recipient of the PrideIndex.com Esteem Award for outstanding community service. He is also a former diversity scholar with the Association Forum of Chicago.

Craig is a native of Chicago’s South Side and graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and Antioch College. Craig is the proud father of an adult daughter, and he has five godchildren.
 
Program and Policy Priorities during Craig's tenure on the AFC Board:
- Adoption of an HIV decriminalization law in Illinois
- Promoting Getting to Zero Illinois - a plan to end the HIV epidemic in IL by 2030
- Increasing access to PrEP and PEP
- Improving sexual orientation and gender identity data collection  
- Increasing state and federal funding for HIV and housing
- Increasing awareness of housing as a determinant of health, and supporting housing programs at AFC and its subsidiary the Center for Housing and Health
- Improving HIV/STI and LGBTQ+ cultural competency and humility training for providers
- Participating in Lighthouse Foundation’s Black Queer Equity Index project
- Expanding fundraising efforts and capacity-building support for BIPOC-led, community-based organizations through the Learning Circle Collaborative
- Reconciling grant payments from the City of Chicago Department of Public Health and the African American HIV/AIDS Response Fund (AAHARF) in the Illinois Assembly
- Advancing health equity through enterprise-wide strategic planning and prioritization
- Increasing strategic engagement between the Governing Board and the Associate Board

ITW

AFC is proud to honor ITW with the Corporate Impact Award. ITW is a Fortune 300 global multi-industrial manufacturing leader with 45,000 dedicated colleagues who thrive in the company's decentralized, entrepreneurial culture. As a member of AFC's Corporate Partnership Program, ITW provides over $25,000 annually through sponsorship of World of Chocolate, AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, and a generous employee gift matching benefit, which provides eligible employees a 3 to 1 match for up to $5,000 to qualified organizations. ITW also encourages volunteerism and charitable giving by providing $15 per hour to qualified organizations for each hour (up to 100 hours) where its employees volunteer. Recently, ITW's inclusive workplace culture was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign, who awarded them the #Equality100 Award for a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index.  For years, ITW has been an enthusiastic and steadfast partner in advancing AFC’s mission and LGBTQ+ causes.  AFC is thrilled to recognize ITW for their immense generosity and longstanding support of the HIV community.

Event Details

At this very special event, we will join together in our shared purpose with food and libations, a paddle raise, entertainment, and remarks from our leaders.

AFC40 will feature a live auction including a six-night private charter cruise in Burgundy, France for up to six people on board Hotel Barge Elisabeth: Donated by its owners, David Wallace and Matthew Willis.

AFC40 Host Committee

We are grateful for the support of the AFC40 Host Committee.  
Craig C. Andree and Frank Quinn
Russ Bauer
Geoffrey and Joshua Brown
Cecil Dearborne
The Friedman Family
Robert and Eudice Fogel
Yusef Garcia and Adam Christensen
Greg Harris
Craig W. Johnson
Lori and Steve Kaufman
Franco La Marca
Janet Lin
Condon McGlothlen and Victor Saporta
Mr. Gary F. Metzner and Dr. Scott Johnson
Tim Mullet
John Peller and David Jablonowski
Philip Pierce and Anthony Schreiber
Markus Pitchford
Mary Pounder
Sharon Putz, Jenny Kopach & Family
Julie Scott and Susan Betteridge
Paul Semper and Eric Medina
Renslow Sherer
Thomas Sinkovic
Patrick D. Strieck and Brian J. Fanning
Tom Tunney

AFC40 Sponsors

This event is further supported by our corporate sponsors.  We are thankful for their generous support.