As the 17th annual AIDS Walk San Diego rapidly approaches (Sunday, Oct. 1, and, yes, you can register on site! A $20 registration fee will still get you an AIDS Walk T-shirt), I am again reminded of the power of our community.

It takes hundreds and hundreds of people every year to make this event happen. AIDS Walk San Diego is the largest one-day fund-raiser in San Diego County for HIV/AIDS service organizations. The success of this event matters tremendously to the more than 16,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in our county. Equally important, this event sends a clear and powerful message to people living with HIV – this event says we care about you. Hate crime rallies say, “Victims will not stand alone or in silence” and AIDS Walk says to thousands who struggle to survive with HIV/AIDS, “We will do what we can to help.”

The efforts of all those who make AIDS Walk happen matter tremendously. There are those who volunteer months before the event, planning and organizing. There are those who spring into action in the weeks before the event, bringing their energy to help reach out and encourage participation. Then there are those incredible troopers who show up in the still-dark early morning hours to help set up the festival grounds, direct traffic, make sure the water and fruit are ready for runners and walkers, staff the community booths, etc.

All who work AIDS Walk are inspired by our awesome corps of volunteers who take on tasks that range from data entry to setting up tents at 4:00 a.m. They come in twice a week, or every day, sometimes just to bring doughnuts for the staff and their fellow volunteers.

And the volunteers, while critical, are just one part of the team. There are those who give financially to support the event – corporate and individual donors – as well as all of you who give what you can to support your friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors and others who are walking.

Then there are the walkers themselves, an incredible array of San Diegans who commit to walking in support of those living with HIV/AIDS and sometimes in memory of those lost to the disease. But the walkers don’t just walk, they also are key players in raising the funds that are critically needed for our San Diego County HIV/AIDS service organizations.

There is a role for everyone at AIDS Walk. All are important, and we need all these roles filled to ensure we can continue to provide the funding that our local service providers count on to meet the needs of their clients. All those involved with AIDS Walk are driven by a range of personal motivations, each with a story to tell about why they are participating. And each story is told through the actions and gifts of each participant, volunteer, donor and staffer.

I believe what happens at AIDS Walk – diverse communities coming together for a common cause – is part of the cultural character of San Diego. San Diegans have always valued relatedness, relationships and collaboration. And the LGBT San Diego community is better at teamwork and collective action than most. We have used it to create HIV/AIDS service organizations, an AIDS Walk event, a Youth Housing Project, an incredible LGBT business organization, a phenomenal theater and performing arts organization, athletic groups and clubs, a strong family organization, a Latino Services Program and even The Center itself.

I feel fortunate every day to be part of a community that brings such generosity, one that gives of its resources – time, talent or money – and gets important things done.

Please join us this Sunday and carry on the proud LGBT San Diego tradition of making a difference!