Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) hosted the 22nd Annual AIDS Walk Las Vegas at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15. For the 11th consecutive year Strip headliners Penn & Teller served as grand marshals and led the Penn & Teller Challenge AIDS Walk team. The Penn & Teller Challenge set a new fundraising record with a total of $276,000 raised and counting, not including Penn &Teller’s final dollar for dollar match. Of the 9,276 total walkers at the event, 1,623 participated in the Penn & Teller Challenge, making 2012 the Challenge’s most successful year to date.
AFAN also welcomed new fundraising partner Walgreens in 2012. Throughout March, local Walgreens stores raised $71,510 for the AIDS Walk, which was presented to AFAN during the event’s opening ceremonies.
As AFAN’s largest fundraiser of the year, all proceeds from the AIDS Walk will go toward assisting and educating more than 4,000 men, women and children infected with HIV and AIDS in Southern Nevada. Total money raised for this year is still being processed at this time.
Walkers at the 22nd Annual AIDS Walk enjoyed lots of sunshine and outstanding entertainment throughout the day, including performances by Strip headliners Melody Sweets of Absinthe, Sean & John Scott of VEGAS! The Show, Iouri & Nikolai of V The Ultimate Variety Show and the casts of Fantasy and Thunder from Down Under. Music was provided by DJ Axis throughout the day, and additional entertainment was provided by Las Vegas’ own glee club On with the Show, School of Rock, HunnyPot and the Desert Pines Marching Band.
The Walk was co-hosted by KLAS 8 News Now anchor and master of ceremonies Chris Saldaña along with CBS Radio personalities Lauren Michaels of 98.5 KLUC, Dustin Carlson of X 107.5 and Mark & Mercedes of Mix 94.1.
Various government officials came to the event to show their support for AFAN, Nevada’s oldest and largest nonprofit dedicated to serving the HIV/AIDS community in southern Nevada. Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Congresswoman Dina Titus addressed the crowd, speaking on the importance of funding and awareness for HIV/AIDS in Las Vegas. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s office also sent a representative to express her support of AFAN.
Following the closing ceremonies, participants stayed at UNLV for the post-Walk picnic and Food Truck Roundup. Eleven of Las Vegas’ most loved food trucks turned out to support AFAN and feed the thousands of hungry walkers, including: BBQ Boy, Charlie’s Lunch, Chi-Town Hustler, Fat Daddy’s Ice Cream, Grouchy John’s Coffee, Redneck Kitchen, Roamin’ Dough, Sin City Wings, Tasty Bunz, The Rusty Pickle and Hawaiian Shaved Ice.
This year’s AIDS Walk was the largest single crowd in the event’s history and is expected to have raised more funds than ever before.
Click on the photos below to enlarge.
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