UCSF to Participate in San Francisco AIDS Walk

In keeping with the spirit of serving the community, UCSF is again planning to participate in the upcoming AIDS Walk San Francisco. The walk, an annual event sponsored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, takes place on July 20, during the same month when, in 1981, pioneering AIDS physician Paul Volberding, MD, saw his first AIDS patient at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). The comprehensive, nonjudgmental treatment provided at SFGH, in partnership with the public and advocacy groups in the early days of the pandemic, has been hailed as the San Francisco model of care. "What made the San Francisco model work was the public," said Sandra Hernandez, MD, chief executive officer of the San Francisco Foundation. "Local demonstration of a community's determination to overcome disease is vital." And the success of AIDS Walk San Francisco, which raises money for HIV programs and services in the Bay Area, depends on the determination of the campus community. Last year, UCSF's faculty, staff, students, trainees, and their friends and family members came together to raise $61,501 at the event. The Positive Health Program staff at SFGH is among those who are rallying their troops to raise funds in this year's AIDS Walk San Francisco. "Grassroots advocacy and fundraising have always been at the core of ensuring that HIV health care is available to all in need," said Marc Vincent, strategic marketing director at the UCSF Positive Health Program. Those interested in helping to organize UCSF's participation in the annual trek through Golden Gate Park are asked to contact Lisa Cisneros, AIDS Walk coordinator, UCSF Public Affairs, via email. To register to walk, call 415/615-WALK (415/615-9255) or email. Related Links: New Film Profiles UCSF HIV/AIDS Leaders