Championing the Cause

By the time Team Chicago House gathered at the starting line for the AIDS Run & Walk on September 26th, the race had already been running for months. 

There were emails, texts, and calls to friends and family. Social posts raised awareness and helped amplify the message. As the campaign continued throughout the summer, our team gained momentum as we raced toward our goal of $40,000. Some folks were donating for the first time, while others have been supporting our work for years. Each gift brought us closer, until we crossed it with $40,533 raised from more than 400 donors. 

"It was incredible to see this campaign build over time as Team Chicago House engaged their networks,” said Lindsay Gaskins, CEO. “We had 79 people join the team this year, with staff, board and associate board members, and corporate partners all stepping up. What I love about the AIDS Run/Walk is how much it reflects the strength of Chicago’s HIV response. On race day, you see people from across the city, representing organizations, families, workplaces, and personal connections to HIV, all on the same course.” 

That is one of the things the AIDS Run/Walk does particularly well: it brings visibility to a cause that is less talked about today, particularly among younger generations who did not grow up during the height of the AIDS epidemic. HIV has changed dramatically, but it has not been cured. Young people continue to be affected, and gaps in sexual health knowledge and misconceptions about transmission persist.   

The money raised will go to our Client Emergency Fund, which gives Chicago House the ability to be more responsive when our residents experience an unexpected expense. For someone already balancing the realities of living with HIV, an emergency can quickly become a choice between keeping the lights on, getting to a medical appointment, paying for medication, or keeping a roof overhead. Having a support system to rely on at that moment can mean the difference between weathering a setback and watching it become a crisis. 

And that brings us back to why the AIDS Run/Walk is so important. HIV may not occupy the same place in the public conversation that it once did, but the people affected by it are still navigating its realities every day. So thank you to everyone who joined and supported Team Chicago House, helping turn that awareness into relief for our clients.