The 2017 Robert J. Fass Memorial AIDS Walk Central Ohio will take place on Saturday, April 15, 2017 in Columbus. This year’s tri-city walk/run/ride is slated to be the largest HIV/AIDS awareness event in Ohio.
MISSION:
The mission of AIDS Walk Central Ohio is to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS service organizations through education and promotional activities leading up to the walk and through the participation of corporations, walkers, runners, civic leaders and community members together in this annual event.
GOAL:
Our goal for this year’s event is 2,000 participants and $340,000 in funds for HIV/AIDS services.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:
AIDS Walk Central Ohio raises HIV/AIDS awareness and provides critical funds for AIDS Service Organizations across the state. This years beneficiaries include Equitas Health, Camp Sunrise, Nationwide Children's Hospital FACES Program, the Ohio AIDS Coalition, and The OSU Wexner Medical Center AIDS Clinical Trials Unit.
Equitas Health (formerly AIDS Resource Center Ohio)
The mission of Equitas Health is to be the gateway to good health for those at risk of or affected byHIV/AIDS, for the LGBTQ community, and for those seeking a welcoming healthcare home. We are a not-for-profit community-based healthcare system founded in 1984.
Robert J. Fass Memorial
Dr. Robert J. Fass, Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, died on January 1, 2002. Dr. Fass had a distinguished career in the field of Infectious Diseases. He came to Ohio State in 1967 to complete his Internal Medicine residency training. He then did fellowship training in Infectious Diseases and received a master’s degree in Medical Microbiology in 1971. He joined the OSU medical faculty in 1971 and rose to the rank of Professor in 1980. In 1987, he became the Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and in 1991 he was awarded the endowed Samuel Saslaw Professorship in Infectious Diseases.
Camp Sunrise
Who We Are: Camp Sunrise, founded in 1994 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is Ohio’s only summer camp program developed specifically for children impacted by HIV/AIDS. Each summer, Camp Sunrise welcomes as many as 100 children to experience the joys of friendship, the love and support of a caring community, and an encouraging environment free of the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.
Who We Serve: Since we opened our doors, we have served more than 600 Ohio children living with or otherwise impacted by HIV/AIDS. They attend free of charge and many return year after year. Children living with HIV/AIDS Camp Sunrise welcomes children ages 6-17 who are living with HIV/AIDS – at any stage of the disease. All children must be aware of their disease status before attending Camp Sunrise. Children impacted by HIV/AIDS Camp Sunrise recognizes that HIV/AIDS impacts the family unit as a whole and sometimes multiple generations within the same family; thus, we also welcome children ages 6-17 who have a sibling, parent, or caretaker living with the disease, or who are grieving the loss of a loved one to AIDS. Inability to pay is not a factor. We offer our camp program at no expense to the child or the family, including the cost of transportation and/or other necessities. Camp Sunrise is a program of Equitas Health.
Nationwide Children's Hospital FACES Program
The Family AIDS Clinic and Education Services (FACES) program of Nationwide Children's Hospital is central Ohio’s primary HIV clinic serving infants, youth, and women.
Our mission is to “improve the health of those we serve. To assess, prevent, and interrupt the transmission of HIV and provide for the needs of clients living with HIV/AIDS by identifying the scope and extent of HIV infection and the needs which it creates, and disseminating timely and complete information.” The HIV clinic began here at Nationwide Children's Hospital in 1985, but in 1991 the clinic officially became FACES and increased its services to adult patients.
Today we serve more than 400 HIV clients in at least forty counties, providing comprehensive care to HIV-infected children, youth and more than 300 affected family members. As families and communities continually experience the impact of HIV in the Greater Columbus area, FACES responds by providing quality medical and psychosocial care to our diverse patients and through community prevention outreach.
Our interdisciplinary team that includes physicians, RNs, social workers, a child life specialist, dietician, and a consumer advocate, to name a few, truly allows us to maximize results for our patients and within the community. We also partner with local AIDS service organizations (ASOs) and various other community agencies to help meet the unique needs of our patients and to help reduce the spread of HIV in the local area. Additionally, we are proud to have begun free HIV testing for anyone 13 and older in our clinic on Fridays from 8am to 2pm.
OSU Wexner Medical Center.pngThe Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center AIDS Clinical Trials Unit is a member of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) — the largest trials group committed to developing new medical treatments to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
AIDS Clinical Trials Unit
Division of Infectious Diseases
McCampbell Hall
1581 Dodd Drive
4th Floor, Suite 400
Columbus, OH 43210
614-293-8112
medicalcenter.osu.edu/go/actu
