LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- This weekend, thousands of people will take a walk at Waterfront Park to raise thousands of dollars and awareness for HIV and AIDS.
It is all part of the annual Louisville AIDS Walk.
Like a lot of Americans, Christopher Dresing takes daily medication and walks to stay healthy.
"My medicine that I take daily will keep me healthy for a very, very long time," he said.
But the difference between Dresing and most people is that his medicine is fighting a deadly disease.
"I was diagnosed with HIV in February of 2009," he said.
Dresing is one of more than 2,500 Kentuckians living with HIV and AIDS. That's why events like the annual AIDS walk are so important.
Brad Hampton is the director of the AIDS Walk and said the event raises thousands of dollars every year to help local organizations that benefit people living with the disease.
"The Louisville AIDS Walk is Kentucky's largest annual HIV/AIDS awareness and fundraising event," said Hampton. "It represents multiple organizations including Volunteers of America, the Wings Clinic, the House of Ruth and AIDS Interfaith Ministries of Kentuckiana."
This year's walk will be held on Sunday at Waterfront Park.
"We're hoping for a crowd of about 5,000 - 6,000 people," Hampton said.
And if that many people show up, Hampton hopes to try something new this year.
"It'll be Louisville's first human AIDS ribbon," he said. "It'll be on the Great Lawn, and we're going to ask people to wear a red shirt and organize into the shape of a ribbon."
Meanwhile, memorials like a plaque outside the One for All Consignment Store are constant reminders of the fight against HIV and AIDS, but the AIDS Walk provides the kind support people living with the disease need.
"I have a lot of friends who are HIV-positive, and it's nice to have the support," said Dresing.
The 2-mile walk begins and ends on the Great Lawn. The opening ceremony starts at 1:00 p.m. and the actual walk is at 3:00 p.m.
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