Walking for Red
On Sunday, July 14, thousands of participants will join the
San Francisco AIDS Walk, including many UCSF teams. Jen Dowd got involved with AIDS Walk San Francisco because of her friend and former colleague Red Mangio, who inspired her and others at UCSF. Read the
UCSF story to learn more about Red’s legacy.
How did you get involved in the UCSF AIDS Walk?
Shortly after I started at UCSF in the summer of 2001, Red invited me to volunteer for that weekend’s AIDS Walk. He was desperate for volunteers, and he was known as the “cheerleader” of the event. I’ve been involved every year since then. On the opening day of The Pub at the Rutter Center in March of 2006, I remember Red went home sick. He never came back. I stay involved because Red can’t.
What has kept you inspired for all these years?
I’m dedicated to increasing awareness. Red had AIDS, undiagnosed and untreated. I hope no one else has to go through what he did. There are so many services available, and the money from the walk helps a variety of local service organizations that provide access to health care, nutritious meals, housing, education, and more for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in the Bay Area. I’m especially proud that recent AIDS Walk donations provided seed money to start the Golden Compass program at Ward 86, the country’s first dedicated AIDS clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, a trailblazer since the earliest days of the epidemic. This isn’t a sad event; it’s a feel-good event. People are giving back to something important and it helps support UCSF too.
