Thousands Expected for 2022 Desert AIDS Walk

The theme of this year’s Desert AIDS Walk is “Walk, Out Loud.”

PALM SPRINGS – Some 2,000 community members — from babies in strollers to seniors — are expected to participate in DAP Health’s annual Desert AIDS Walk, which will kick off at Ruth Hardy Park on Saturday, October 29, tracing a route through downtown Palm Springs. The theme of this year’s event, whose presenting sponsor is Desert Care Network, is “Walk, Out Loud,” which places its focus squarely on advocacy and on uniting the entire community in the fight for LGBTQ+ health equity.

“Unfortunately, history is repeating itself,” says David Brinkman, CEO of DAP Health, an advocacy-based health care organization that provides service to more than 10,000 individuals annually throughout the Coachella Valley. “With queer rights falling under attack across our nation, and our government’s dispiriting lack of urgency in responding to the growing Monkeypox (Mpox) crisis, 2022 looks, sounds, and feels just like the early ’80s, when HIV/AIDS was decimating our community and politicians turned their backs, refusing to act. As we learned then, silence equals death, and when our leaders abandon us, it is up to members of our community to join forces and advocate on our own behalf. Only by coming out in unprecedented numbers and raising our collective voice this year can we show local, state, and federal officials that their apathy concerning LGBTQ people is absolutely unacceptable.”

The Desert AIDS Walk registration will begin Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. for a 9 a.m. departure. The Health & Wellness Village sponsored by Walgreens will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Entertainers on the main stage will include The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus.

The money raised thanks to the perennially popular pet- and family-friendly affair will go directly to fund DAP Health’s advocacy and health care efforts, with 2022 proceeds also benefitting a handful of community partners, including The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, Brothers of the Desert, The L Fund and Queer Works.

Since its inception in 1984, DAP Health has centered its work on advocating on behalf of populations whose voices are often unheard — people with HIV/AIDS, people of color, those living in poverty, unhoused individuals, and people with disabilities, and people struggling with substance use. Through it all, the organization has never wavered in its determination to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and today continues to:

• Offer free onsite and mobile HIV and STI testing, including mailing at-home HIV tests to those unable to access its main Palm Springs campus.
• Link people newly diagnosed with HIV to care — and help them remain in care — so that they can be undetectable, therefore unable to transfer the virus to others (U=U).
• Provide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

As always, DAP Health’s day-to-day approach to health care is a holistic one. Its umbrella of culturally competent services encompasses:

• HIV/AIDS outreach, testing, and care
• STI outreach, testing, and care
• Primary care
• Mental health care
• Dental care
• Addiction treatment
• Medical case management
• Client wellness services
• Housing assistance
• Medical transport
• Food/grocery vouchers
• Social services
• Mobile and telehealth services
• Health insurance and Medi-Cal assistance

The recent opening of a DAP Health clinic in Indio is proof of the non-profit’s ongoing desire to expand its reach into the East Valley.

No patient is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.

In 2021:

• 8,298 patients were seen at DAP Health.
• 8,182 HIV tests were conducted, with 53 individuals being linked to HIV care following their positive diagnosis and 58 patients consulting for PEP.
• 4,698 patients accessed the organization’s mental health services.
• 4,100 patients accessed its dental health services.
• 2,431 substance use visits were completed.
• 2,924 Hep C tests were completed.
• 901 Hep B tests were completed.
• 1,558 STI appointments were scheduled, with 947 patients being treated for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
• 1,029 patients received PrEP, including 359 new PrEP starts.
• 1,188 individuals attended its community health presentations.

For Participants 

Individuals interested in participating in the 2022 Desert AIDS Walk: Walk, Out Loud may register by clicking here.

For Sponsors  

Businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities related to the Walk or to the Health & Wellness Village may learn more by contacting DAP Health’s Director of Development James Lindquist at jlindquist@daphealth.org or 760.656.8413.

About DAP Health  

DAP Health is an advocacy-based health center in Palm Springs, serving more than 10,000 patients, offering medical and mental health care, free STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab services. A variety of wraparound services enable patients to experience optimal health, including social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness services. Excellent HIV care is provided by the largest team of specialized clinicians in the area.  Click here to read more about the organization’s commitment to health equity.

DAP Health opened one of California’s first COVID clinics and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP Health is also working to address social determinants of health that are causing negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing health care.

DAP Health’s sexual health clinics offer free STI testing and treatment, free Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) services, and free HIV and HCV testing. DAP Health has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP Health in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP Health exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency.

Click here to learn more.