Hello Everyone, It’s Tyler TerMeer – CEO of Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health!

I’m reaching out today with an important update about AIDS WALK Northwest.

As I’m sure you can imagine, we have been keeping a close eye on the wildfires this week and due to the increased smoke and fire safety concerns in our local area, we have made the tough decision that AIDS Walk on September 12th will be a virtual livestream event only. 

AIDS Walk Northwest is a cornerstone event for CAP and helps raise awareness for HIV and AIDS as well as critical funds to support CAP and our community partners as we fight to end HIV transmission. Thousands of you have rallied over the past few months and we are so grateful and thankful for you all. Because of your support we have been able to raise over $176,000! 

However, like so much of 2020, we find ourselves in the midst of yet another heartbreaking moment for our families, friends, and communities. Thousands are being forced to leave their homes as an unprecedented natural disaster sweeps through our region. In light of the very poor air quality and nearby evacuations, we feel it is important that we work to ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of our staff, our volunteers, and our walkers. Because of this, we have decided to make the following changes to this year’s event:

 1.    Donations - We will continue to keep our AIDS Walk donation page up and running, as well as all of the amazing supported Facebook Fundraisers connected to AIDS Walk Northwest. Yes, I know that we have surpassed our fundraising goal, but I’m asking that you keep the momentum going and here is why….

All donations received between today and Friday, September 18th will be donated by CAP to wildfire relief funds in Oregon and Washington State. We will also be donating all of the snacks and water from our generous sponsors to Esther’s Pantry to help support their wildlife relief efforts. 

2.    Live Stream Virtual Program - We will still hold our livestream AIDS Walk program at 10am on Saturday, September 12th on the AIDS Walk website to help celebrate all of our walkers, donors, and our 2020 Heroes of HIV. We hope you will tune in to join us in celebrating the hard work of our community and honor our heroes. We also encourage you to visit the virtual photo booth and share a photo of how you will be showing up for AIDS Walk at home. We would love to see your faces!

3.    Walker Check-In Stations & Suggested Routes - Due to poor air quality, we will be canceling our in-person check-in stations for September 12th. Don’t worry, all of your walker bags, prizes, and t-shirts will still be available for pick-up at a future date. We will be in touch with you about details once we can arrange a time to safely distribute them. In the meantime, we encourage all of our walkers to remain indoors as much as possible to limit your exposure. 

4.    Volunteering – I know so many of you look forward to volunteering at this event every year. The good news is that we will have volunteer roles to fill at our rescheduled AIDS Walk pick-up day. Once that has been scheduled, we will be in touch with all of you about your availability and interest. Thanks for rolling with us through all of these adjustments! You make CAP a better place and we couldn’t be where we are without you.

While we are saddened to have to change another CAP event due to circumstances beyond our control, we are first and foremost a service organization and our community’s health and well- being is our top priority.

On a personal note, as a person living with HIV, AIDS Walk for me is very personal. In the nearly 17 years that I have been living with this disease, I have watched so many of our brightest and most beautiful souls fade away long before their time. I walk for them. To honor those, I’ve lost the best way I know how, by standing up and fighting back. 

While we cannot physically gather this year, it’s a strong reminder to us all that this beloved CAP event is more than just a Walk – it’s a moment of recommitment to this movement– to CAP’s mission – and a moment for each of us to honor the legacy of how far we have come and all of those we have lost along the way. 

HIV and AIDS was allowed to flourish due to bigotry and fear, we are still fighting those sentiments today. Regardless of what the world throws at us, we will find strength and resilience with one another. This is why we must join together to make our collective voices heard in November. We do so by voting. Together we can make great change and create a better tomorrow for us all. 

 Thank You and Be Well

About Cascade AIDS Project

Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS crisis, Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is now the oldest and largest HIV-services and LGBTQ+ health provider in Oregon and southwest Washington, with more than 100 employees working across four locations. Our organization seeks to prevents new HIV infections; support low-income people living with HIV; and provide safe, welcoming, and knowledgeable healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community. Through our vital health, housing, and other social services, we help ensure the well-being of more than 15,000 people each year.  More information can be found at www.capnw.org