Walk & Run set for Sunday, June 1
Special to the Sun
Stride into Pride! Kick off LGBTQIA+ Pride Month with purpose on June 1, for Fenway Health’s Strides for Action at Artesani Park. Strides is more than just a walk—it’s a movement! It is a time to rally for our values and kick off Pride!
When you walk, run, or donate, you are taking strides toward: expanding access to LGBTQIA+ health services, including gender-affirming care and HIV treatment/prevention; supporting vital research that drives innovation and informs the future of healthcare for all; and
Bolstering advocacy efforts to protect and expand healthcare access, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Registration opens at 8 a.m., followed by the speaking program starting at 9 a.m. Run/Walk Warm Up takes place at 9:40 a.m., with the 5K run and walk kick off at 9:45 a.m. Wellness festival and entertainment follows from 10:30–11:30 a.m., with the event wrapping up around 11:30-11:45 a.m.
Entertainment includes The Femmes, an all-woman and non-binary band specializing in songs by female and non-binary artists. When you’re at a Femmes show, you’re at a high energy concert experience. Reimagym, the radically inclusive fitness gym in Medford, will get participants moving and energized with a fun, all-levels warm-up to kick the walk/run off on the right foot.
“We’re excited to kick off Pride month with Strides for Action which promises to be a good time for folks of all ages and backgrounds,” Jordina Shanks, Fenway Health CEO, said in a press release. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to come together and stand in solidarity for health equity for the communities we serve and is an important source of funding for the care and services our community needs and deserves.”
Started as AIDS Walk Boston in 1986, the event has drawn thousands of participants over the last 39 years who walk to remember those lost to HIV/AIDS and support those living with the disease. While there is still no cure, tremendous strides have been made in the treatment and prevention of HIV, due in part to funds raised via events like the AIDS Walk.
At the same time, the demand for programs and services addressing the broader needs of the LGBTQIA+ community continues to increase, as does the need for additional funding.
As threats to funding for LGBTQIA+ healthcare escalate, Fenway Health remains a vital lifeline to the community. Your participation helps fund critical programs and raises awareness for those most impacted—people living with HIV/AIDS, transgender and gender-diverse individuals, LGBTQIA+ youth and elders, and BIPOC communities disproportionately affected by health inequities.
Strides for Action is presented by MassMutual. Additional corporate support is provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Gilead Pharmaceuticals, ViiV Healthcare, Blueprint Medicines, AAFCPAs, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and American Tower.