Why I Walk:

I walk because HIV has shaped my life—but it has never defined my limits.

More than twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with HIV. At the time, I couldn't have imagined that one day I would have the privilege of leading San Francisco AIDS Foundation as its CEO. My journey is only possible because generations of advocates, activists, healthcare providers, researchers, donors, and community members refused to accept that HIV would have the final word. They showed up. They organized. They cared for one another. They walked.

That's why AIDS Walk San Francisco has always meant so much to me.

This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate the Walk's 40th anniversary and San Francisco AIDS Foundation returns as a beneficiary after many years away. It feels like a homecoming—one that honors our shared history while recommitting ourselves to the work ahead.

We are living through a pivotal moment. Hard-won progress is being challenged. HIV prevention, treatment, and public health are facing unprecedented threats. At the same time, stigma and inequities continue to impact far too many people in our communities. Moments like this remind us that movements are sustained not by any one organization or individual, but by people who choose to show up for one another.

That's why I walk.

I walk for everyone we have lost. I walk for everyone living with HIV today. I walk for the next generation who deserve a future free from HIV and free from stigma. And I walk because I believe, just as those before us believed, that when community comes together, progress is possible.

Whether this is your first AIDS Walk or your fortieth, thank you for being part of this movement. Every step you take honors our legacy. Every dollar you raise helps build our future. And together, we move closer to a world where health, dignity, and opportunity belong to everyone.