30,000 to Fill Streets for 27th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles

WHAT:

27th annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles (AWLA)

WHEN:

Sunday, October 16, 2011

8:00 a.m.

Media Check-In Open (Backstage) *Please contact Gabriel McGowan (listed below) to reserve a media access pass.

9:00 a.m.

Aerobic Warm-Up on Main Stage at San Vicente Boulevard north of Santa Monica Boulevard

9:15 a.m.

Opening Ceremony on Main Stage at San Vicente Boulevard north of Santa Monica Boulevard

9:55 a.m.

Backstage Photo/Interview Opportunities with Celebrities, Elected Officials, APLA clients

10:00 a.m.

Walk Begins

WHO:

More than 30,000 participants are expected.  

Confirmed celebrity guests include: Drew Carey (“The Price Is Right”), Conchata Ferrell (“Two and a Half Men”), Barrett Foa (“NCIS: Los Angeles”), Dot Marie Jones (“Glee”), Carson Kressley (television personality and “Dancing with the Stars” contestant),  Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman (“Raising Hope”), Pauley Perrette (“NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigation Service”), Jai Rodriguez (television personality), and Louis Van Amstel (“Dancing with the Stars”). Jenifer Lewis will perform “Dig a Little Deeper,” the song she originated in Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.” Lewis will close the Opening Ceremony with her performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and West Hollywood Mayor John J. Duran will speak about the current HIV/AIDScrisis in Los Angeles County and the vital work of lead beneficiary APLA.  

Other elected officials expected to attend include: United States Representatives Linda Sanchez, Adam Schiff, and Brad Sherman; California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez; California State Assemblymembers Betsy Butler, Mike Feuer, Ricardo Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal,and Anthony Portantino; Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky; Los Angeles City CouncilmembersPaul Koretz and Tom LaBonge; West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore Jeffrey Prang and West Hollywood City Councilmember John D’Amico; and Los Angeles County Director of the Office of AIDS Programs & Policy, Mario J. Perez.

WHERE:  

West Hollywood Park: San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue.  Venue map: http://www.aidswalk.net/losangeles/eventinfo/maps.html

General Media Parking:Free parking is available atCedars-Sinai Medical Towers, 3rd Street & Sherbourne.  Travel westbound on 3rd and turn right on Sherbourne.  Shuttle service to the venue provided. Closer parking is also available for $10 at the Pacific Design Center (enter garage from Melrose east of San Vicente). Note: Parking at Pacific Design Center closes at 8 a.m., and vehicles will not be able to exit until after 12 p.m.

Broadcast Crew Parking:  Space will be available on San Vicente north of Santa Monica behind the stage.  Enter San Vicente at Sunset Blvd. and go south.  There will be media parking along San Vicente. Please contact Gabriel McGowan (listed below) to reserve this parking.

MORE:

In this thirtieth year since AIDS was identified in the United States, AIDS Walk Los Angeles remains a vital source of private support for programs and services that sustain lives and prevent new infections. The event is the single largest source of private support for direct services that thousands of low-income Angelenos living with HIV/AIDS depend on – like food, medical care, housing help, and more.

Press Contacts:

Gabriel McGowan

Brent Colby

Director of Communications  

Director of Strategic Partnerships & Communications

AIDS Project Los Angeles

AIDS Walk Los Angeles

213.201.1521 (o)

213.201.9255 (o)

818.450.6283 (m)

310.844.3756 (m)

gmcgowan@apla.org

brentc@aidswalk.net