GMHC's Krishna Stone shares her experiences with AIDS Walk New York from 1986 to now
NEW YORK -- After a two-year hiatus, AIDS Walk New York returns this Sunday.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the walk to go virtual, but now, thousands will gather in Central Park for the world's largest single-day HIV and AIDS fundraiser. Money raised goes to support the work of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC).
The group has led the fight to end HIV and AIDS for 40 years, providing support for prevention, education and other community services.
CBS2 News is a proud media sponsor of AIDS Walk New York.
READ MORE: AIDS Walk New York returns this weekend
CBS2's Chris Wragge spoke to Krishna Stone, director of community relations for GMHC, about the event.
Stone attended the first AIDS Walk New York back in 1986 and has worked at GMHC for 29 years. She says she switched from walking to working.
"I was so moved by the amount of people who had come to Lincoln Center ... and I was just blown away because by that point in 1986, I had already started to lose friends, colleagues, due to AIDS-related complications, so to see that amount of people who were there, who were glad to be there, who wanted to raise money and to fight AIDS, it was just outstanding, and so I was so moved, that I started to then volunteer at GMHC. I was then hired in 1993," Stone said.
READ MORE: GMHC offers New Yorkers support with free, confidential HIV, STI testing
Stone says she thinks of the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis as "a hurricane going through the city."
"While this is the 40th year of GMHC and the 41st year of the epidemic, we still see, you know, the rates of infection in particular populations that still continue to rise. Some of the infection rates in other populations stabled off and, for some, declined, yet we still have much more work to do," she said.
You can watch the full interview above.
CBS News New York will stream the opening ceremony of AIDS Walk New York on Sunday, May 15, starting at 9:15 a.m. The ceremony will feature speakers, celebrities and a performance.
If you want to register for the walk or support your favorite team, visit ny.aidswalk.net.