The Chevron New Orleans Walk to End HIV, a CrescentCare event in its 29th year, presented by Avita Pharmacy, will be held on September 30 will at Crescent Park. New Orleans icon Big Freedia will perform for walkers assembling to raise funds for and awareness around HIV. The route is two miles and will be accessible to all levels of walker.
The Walk is one of Chevron’s flagship efforts in Greater New Orleans to curb the spread of HIV and improve health outcomes for those affected by the disease. Seeing many of the improvements in HIV treatment and testing technology, Chevron Public Affairs Manager Leah Brown states:
“Chevron is proud of the work being done by members of the healthcare community for Southeastern Louisiana and is excited to be a part of their incredible efforts. If the advances made in recent years are any indication, we are all hopeful that this will be the last generation that HIV impacts.”
Big Freedia is one of the most notable headliners in CrescentCare’s 35-year history. The entertainer’s profile mirrors the seriousness, enthusiasm, and hope of the agency as it drills down on the HIV epidemic in the New Orleans community. Rodney Thoulion, CresentCare’s Director of Development says of the event:
“Big Freedia joins the walk to signal a celebration of how far we’ve come and that we’ve got big advances on the horizon in the HIV fight. We’ve made huge strides in treatment and prevention, but there’s still work to be done. That’s why we’ve dubbed this the Walk to End HIV.”
Entertainment for the event will be as diverse as the community that CrescentCare serves, featuring the New Orleans Gay Men’s Chorus and Big 6 Brass Band. For those individuals who want to participate but who haven’t dusted off their walking shoes in a while, there will be a group warmup by the Chevron’s health and wellness staff. At the conclusion of the walk, awards will be given for highest raiser as well as other accolades, both on and off the walking path.
The funds raised from the Walk will be used by CrescentCare’s NO/AIDS Task Force division to provide vital prevention and treatment services for people in the community affected by HIV. For more information or to register a team and fundraise for valuable AIDS & HIV-related services at CrescentCare, visit noaidswalk.com.