The faces at AIDS Walk have changed dramatically over the years, but the mission remains the same – to raise funds for vital HIV/AIDS services, to raise awareness about the disease and to send a clear message of compassion to those who are living with HIV/AIDS.
When the first AIDS Walk was held in San Diego in the mid-1980s, the climate of hatred and fear was so intense, organizers felt they couldn’t even have the word AIDS appear in the name of the event, instead dubbing it the Walk for Life.
At that time, the lack of knowledge about how HIV was transmitted created a panicked response and often times a complete rejection of those who became infected – from their friends, families and even lovers. And while HIV stigma and shame is still all too prevalent, the world is nearly unrecognizable from those early days.
When the 24th annual AIDS Walk San Diego steps off in Balboa Park Sept. 29, there will be families walking in remembrance of lost loved ones, youth who have never known a world without AIDS, long-term HIV/AIDS survivors walking with their family and friends – a vision that was unimaginable when AIDS Walk first began.
What follows is the story of three families who have all made a commitment to AIDS Walk and its ongoing mission. Clearly, they walk the Walk.
Reuben
In 1993, Reuben Ramirez told his sister that he was going to participate in his first AIDS Walk. She remembers being proud of him, and thinking how courageous he was.
“He was my best friend,” said Vivian Laurin, Reuben’s sister. “He was awesome, and he was involved in so many things in San Diego. He was always helping people. Reuben especially loved working with special-needs children. He volunteered every summer at a camp for kids who had cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. So when he told me that he and his partner, Rocky, were participating in AIDS Walk, I knew it was another good thing he was doing.”
For Reuben, it would be the only opportunity he’d have to participate in AIDS Walk. “During Easter of 1994, he told me he had AIDS and after that, his health declined rapidly,” she said. “It was such a painful time. He passed away Aug. 8, 1994. Our family walked for him two months later and we have been walking in his honor ever since.”
Each year, Vivian, her husband, Tom, and their family are there on AIDS Walk Sunday with their yellow team shoe emblazoned simply “Reuben.”
“AIDS Walk is so important today,” Laurin said. “Thankfully, there are medications that can help fight this disease now, but there is still a stigma that prevents people from talking about HIV and getting the services that are available.
“I do AIDS Walk to remember my brother, who I loved very much, but now I also do it for others as well,” she said. “I do it for the people who need HIV services, to help people see that this is not just a ‘gay disease’ and to show those affected by HIV that we care. I also do it for my 29 grandchildren so they can learn about HIV prevention and remember their Uncle Reuben.”
Darnell
Darnell Walker lost his uncle, Patrick Whyte, to AIDS in 2004. Today, Darnell is one of the area coordinators for AIDS Walk San Diego. “I was close to him,” Darnell said of his uncle. “Now, every time I do something to help with HIV, I think of him.”
In addition to AIDS Walk, for the past several years Darnell has been a dedicated volunteer for local HIV/AIDS fundraising events, like Dining Out for Life.
“I got involved with AIDS Walk because someone asked me to be on their team. It was great to have a chance to be part of something that was so important and big,” he said.
“The energy from that first experience was infectious, so every time since, when The Center asks me to help, I love having the chance to give back to the community.
“I love the fact that I am really part of making this event happen by giving as a volunteer and donor,” Walker said. “I’ve also enjoyed involving my friends and family as volunteers for the event, including my mom, my brother, my sister and her boyfriend. Now it really is a family affair.”
Traci
Traci Wilkerson has been an enthusiastic participant in AIDS Walk since 2007, soon after she learned that her father was living with HIV. This year, she is taking it a step further by starting her own team, Traci’s Paws, named for the new non-profit organization she founded to help save abandoned and unwanted pets.
“I started doing AIDS Walk as a way to show support for my father. Before a Christmas visit to Minneapolis in 2006, my dad finally shared with me that he was living with HIV,” Wilkerson said. “When he did tell me, he really made an effort to help me understand that treatment was available and that it was making a difference for him.”
After Traci returned home to San Diego following that visit, she decided to learn more about the disease. She got information on HIV/AIDS from The San Diego LGBT Community Center. She also heard about AIDS Walk from The Center and from friends at Martinis Above Fourth, who encouraged her to join their team.
“I was proud of my dad for being proactive about his health. I think doing AIDS Walk is a way for me to be proactive as well,” continued Wilkerson. “At the Walk, we have the opportunity to share information about HIV and encourage people to get tested for HIV so we can all take control of our health. We also raise money for the services that help and support people living with HIV.
“For me, I especially like reaching out to people who’d like to do something good, but have no direct connection to someone with HIV,” Wilkerson said. “AIDS Walk is such a positive way to make people aware about HIV and create more understanding.”
On AIDS Walk Sunday, Wilkerson will combine two of her greatest passions. Not only will she lead her own AIDS Walk team, but as she helps raise funds for local HIV services, she and her team will also be walking with several of San Diego’s animal rescue groups that will include some adorable rescued dogs that are available for adoption.
“Many of my friends who help with my animal rescue work and my friends who share my passion for fighting HIV and AIDS will be walking with my AIDS Walk team,” she said.
“Best of all, this year, my dad has joined my team and he is hoping to come in from Minneapolis to walk with me and my team in person this year.” Visit LGBTweekly.com to read about AIDS Walk’s first ever Street Challenge obstacle course.
