​Hello friends and community! 

Thank you for visiting my Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival webpage. I’ve decided to take an active part in the fight against HIV and AIDS alongside my team The Unspoken Jewels. That’s why I will be participating in a 5K fundraising walk to help raise funds for local HIV and AIDS service organizations. But I need your help.

The organization I am fundraising for is the Unspoken Treasure Society (UTS), a Black trans-led organization which serves the Gainesville/Jacksonville are (where your friend lives). Their mission is to find solutions to the ever-growing needs of the LGBTQ+ community and to ensure every gender-non-conforming marginalized voice in Florida is equally understood. UTS works to build safer, healthier communities through peer support, outreach, and education. They provide HIV testing, prevention services, and counseling, as well as access to life-saving medications such as PrEP and other treatments. UTS also offers gender-affirming care, including hormone replacement therapy, and helps connect people with essential resources like housing support, employment opportunities, and healthcare.

Organizations like UTS are especially critical right now. The Florida Department of Health recently announced that it would reduce eligibility for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which could cut off life-saving treatment for about 16,000 people living with HIV in Florida who rely on the program for medication. These are 16,000 lives deemed dispensable! Access to treatment is what keeps people healthy and prevents the spread of HIV, so community-based organizations play a vital role in filling gaps and helping people stay connected to care.

Your support helps organizations like UTS continue providing testing, prevention, care, and community support right here in Florida. Your donation will also be matched dollar-to-dollar (1:1) by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), so anything fundraised will be doubled! Will you help me make a difference in this fight by donating to my walk? Your gift helps raise awareness, support life-saving services, and move us closer to ending the HIV epidemic. Together, we can make a difference.

In solidarity,

-Your friend, Luis