AIDS Walk

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Questions and Answers

General Information

What is the AIDS Walk?

The AIDS Walk was founded more than 30 years ago, and has remained a grass roots labour of love. Last year’s events raised over $1.1 million that benefited more than 31 community-based organisations in 27 walk sites across Canada. Our movement directly contributes to developing and maintaining services and projects to more than 65,000 Canadians from coast to coast. Over the past 30 years the AIDS Walk has raised more than $43 million.

This is your chance to make a difference.

Why get involved?

An estimated 65,000 people in Canada are living with HIV. This is more than ever before, and 1 in 5 of them don’t even know it. When you have HIV, life gets a lot harder.

Your participation in AIDS Walk will raise funds AND demonstrate visible support for people in your community who are living with HIV.

Where does the money go?

All AIDS Walk proceeds support direct services for people living with and affected by HIV/ AIDS in the community where the walk took place. AIDS Service Organizations that host an event use the proceeds to deliver quality programs and support services to people living with HIV in the community in which they live. Funds are also used to provide education and resources to prevent new infections. The monies do not fund research and treatment directly. It is about caring for community members both affected and at risk of HIV/AIDS.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and volunteers, the administrative costs associated with this national campaign are negligible.

How do I host an event?

If you are interested in hosting a AIDS Walk in your community, please contact the National Walk Coordinator at casinfo@cdnaids.ca or 1-800-499-1986 extension 119.

Where do I send media inquiries?

For media enquiries, interviews, and more information about the AIDS Walk, please contact:

Gary Lacasse Executive Director, Canadian AIDS Society E-mail: gary.lacasse@cdnaids.ca Phone: 613.230.3580 x.118 Toll-free: 1.800.499.1986 x.118 Fax: 613.563.4998

Press Release: Canadian AIDS Society announces launch of 2017 #TiedTogether campaign

Is there a list of event dates and locations?

A list of dates and locations for 2018 will be coming soon.

AIDS Walk History

What is the Walk?
Canada’s most important HIV/AIDS fundraising and awareness event is the annual AIDS Walk. During the national event, cities and communities from across the country host Walks to raise funds for local services and programming and to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS.
Our Roots
The roots of the AIDS Walk date back to the first fundraising and awareness walk for HIV/AIDS in Canada, which took place in Vancouver in 1986. Over the decade that followed, many more Canadian cities followed Vancouver’s lead and established their own AIDS walks.
The Birth of a National AIDS Walk
As more and more walks began to appear across Canada, the need for coordination of multiple sites became apparent. Several member organizations of the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) came together in 1995 and requested that CAS coordinate some centralized tasks for their walks. In response, CAS assumed management of the national AIDS Walk campaign in 1996 and established AIDS Walk Canada, the first national fundraising and awareness event for HIV/AIDS in Canada.

The national framework of the AIDS Walk strives to balance the coordination required and autonomy necessary to run a community-driven, national fundraising event. The AIDS Walk is a hybrid between a grassroots and a truly national event, as we rely heavily on the input and involvement of our local host organizations across Canada.

What's in a Name?
Since its inception, the AIDS Walk has gone through several name changes:

  • 1996-2003: AIDS Walk Canada | Ça Marche
  • 2004-2006: Walk for Life | Marche pour la vie
  • 2007: AIDS Walk for Life | Marche action sida
  • 2008-2015: Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life | Marche action sida Banque Scotia
  • 2016-2017: Scotiabank AIDS Walk | Marche action sida Banque Scotia
  • Since 2018: AIDS Walk for Life | Marche action sida

Our success
To date, over half a million Canadians have participated in the AIDS Walk, from coast to coast. Together, they have raised more than $42 million to support programs and services in their communities, for people living with HIV / AIDS and those affected by it.

We sincerely thank all Canadians who have supported the AIDS Walk over the years. We appreciate your continued support and we hope that one day the walk will no longer be necessary.

About HIV/AIDS

What is HIV?
HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV attacks the body’s immune system, reducing its ability to fight disease and infection.

What is AIDS?
AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS develops from HIV infection when the person infected develops an “opportunistic infection.” Opportunistic infections are common infections (i.e. pneumonia or chonic yeast infection) that can prove to be life-threatening for people with HIV because their immune system no longer has the strength to fight them off.

Is there a cure?
There is NO cure for HIV.

HIV is treated with a combination of anti-retroviral drugs, which target the different ways the virus infects healthy blood cells. These drugs are effective; however if the virus mutates, they will form a resistance to the medication and the drugs will no longer be useful. Like many medications, these drugs can have severe side effects that can cause other life-threatening illnesses.

How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is not transmitted through casual contact. HIV can be transferred only through the exchange of certain bodily fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk. These fluids can be transferred through:

  • Unprotected sexual activity
  • Sharing used unclean needles or syringes (or other tools used to pierce the skin)
  • Childbirth, in utero, and breast feeding
  • Receiving transfusions of infected blood, blood products, organs, or donated sperm

For more information, please see the Canadian AIDS Society’s HIV Transmission: Guidelines for Assessing Risk.

How can the risk of HIV transmission be lowered?
HIV prevention and harm reduction is a continuum, that is, you can entirely eliminate the risk of transmission through abstinence or take other precautions to reduce risks, since abstinence isn’t always an option for some people. Here are some ways of reducing the risk of HIV transmission (note that these activities still include some risk of transmission of HIV):

  • Practicing safe-sex by using latex or polyurethane condoms
  • Avoiding sharing sex toys
  • Avoiding cunnilingus during times of higher susceptibility (i.e. during menstruation)
  • Stopping fellatio/intercourse before ejaculation
  • Performing fellatio or cunnilingus with a condom or other latex barrier
  • Using new needles/syringes each time
  • Taking pre-natal anti-HIV therapy
  • Refraining from breast-feeding

For more information, please see the Canadian AIDS Society’s HIV Transmission: Guidelines for Assessing Risk.

What are some of the social causes of HIV?
While we know how HIV is transmitted physically, increasingly, social determinants are being linked to a person’s exposure to situations where HIV transmission is more likely. The following are some of the social issues that are being linked to higher risk for HIV:

  • Poverty
  • Homelessness
  • Stigma/discrimination
  • Addiction
  • Violence
  • Untreated mental health problems
  • Lack of employment opportunities
  • Powerlessness
  • Lack of choice
  • Lack of legal status (i.e. undocumented refugees)
  • Lack of social support

What do I do if I think I might have been exposed to HIV?
If you think you might have been exposed to HIV, speak to your health care provider or contact the AIDS Service Hotline for your province/territory. Hotlines are listed on the Canadian AIDS Society website.

How long should I wait before being tested?
If you think you have been exposed to HIV, you should speak to a sexual health specialist right away, either by calling your provincial/territorial HIV information hotline or by locating your nearest STI clinic and going to speak with them in person. You may be able to take a treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) which will reduce your chances of contracting HIV significantly.

Today’s tests are quite sensitive and can detect HIV antibodies in as little as 12 to 15 days. However, prevention workers and public health officials still recommend that a follow-up test be conducted after a three-month window period. It is important to note that the window period is for a single risk of exposure. If you are having multiple exposure risks, we recommend that you talk to a health professional or HIV educator to discuss ways that you can protect yourself, including harm reduction methods mentioned above.

How can I tell if I have HIV?
Testing is the only reliable way of determining whether or not you have HIV. Symptoms are unreliable in diagnosing HIV because each person with HIV may have a different combination of symptoms. As well, a certain set of symptoms may also be correlated to another illness. Some warning signs may include:

  • Rapid weight loss
  • Dry cough
  • Recurring fever and profuse night sweats
  • Profound and unexplained fatigue
  • Swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
  • Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
  • White spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat
  • Pneumonia
  • Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
  • Memory loss, depression, and other neurological disorders

Links: Additional Information on HIV/AIDS in Canada

Participant Questions

How do I register?

Locate the walk in your area on the Find a Walk page and click through to the event page. On the event page, click “Sign up” if you have not previously created a profile for the walk in that location or “Sign in” if you are a returning walker.

How do I register a team?

When registering for the walk event of your choice, you will be given the option to “Register as an Individual”, “Join a Team” or “Create a Team”. By selecting the Create a Team option, you will be able to set up a new team for the AIDS Walk of your choice.

How do I register as part of a team?

When registering for the walk event of your choice, you will be given the option to “Register as an Individual”, “Join a Team” or “Create a Team”. By selecting the Join a Team option, you will be able to join preexisting teams for the AIDS Walk of your choice.

What happens if my donor incorrectly donates to my team?

If there are issues with your donation showing up under your team donations or under your personal donations, please contact your walk coordinator. Each walk coordinator is listed on the login page for the walk location.

Alternatively, you can contact the national AIDS Walk National Coordinator at casinfo@cdnaids.ca or 1-800-499-1986.

What if I don't remember my username and password?

If you forget your username or password, click on “Forgot your username or password?” on the event page for your AIDS Walk event and follow the instructions from the system.


All AIDS Walk proceeds support direct services for people living with or affected by HIV in your community.

Tous les bénéfices de la Marche action sida servent à fournir des services essentiels aux personnes de votre communauté vivant ou touchées par le VIH.

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