31st Annual AIDS Walk Held In West Hollywood

WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com)  —  The 31st annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles was held Sunday, with an estimated 20,000+ people striding and strutting through West Hollywood and the Fairfax district to raise funds for AIDS Project Los Angeles and more than 20 other LA County-based AIDS service organizations.

The walk began at 10 a.m. at West Hollywood Park following opening ceremonies attended by celebrities and city dignitaries.

"The Price is Right" host Drew Carey (who probably hasn't missed a walk in the past decade), Lea DeLaria, who has a recurring role on the Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black," and Danny Pintauro,
who played Judith Light's son on the 1984-92 ABC comedy "Who's the Boss?" were also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.

Pintauro recently revealed he was HIV-positive and said he wants to be more of an activist while warning of the dangers of mixing meth and sex, which he said, led him to be less vigilant about safe sex.

The walk included  a new 90-foot tunnel with artificial turf, water misters and informational panels on the history of HIV and AIDS.

The proceeds from the walk allow AIDS Project Los Angeles and the other organizations to provide food, housing, medical and dental care and counseling for people living with HIV and AIDS and prevention efforts to stop new infections.

AIDS Walk Los Angeles was the world's first fundraising walk to benefit organizations dealing with AIDS. Since its inception in 1985, the walk has raised more than $79 million, including more than $2.2 million last year, for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and advocacy programs, according to Ben Fordham, the walk's director of communications.

On Sunday evening, organizers announced walkers raised $2.375,946 this year.