POWER S.T.E.P.P.E.R. 5K Walk
Every Step Is an Act of Resistance.
In rural America, HIV/AIDS doesn't just take lives — it takes them quietly, without a doctor nearby, without a testing site, without someone to call. On June 12, 2027, we walk not just for awareness — we walk because silence is still killing people.
⏳ Countdown activates once the event date is confirmed!
⏱️ Walk Day Countdown — Saturday, June 12, 2027
🎯 Fundraising Progress
Every dollar expands HIV/AIDS access in Central Georgia
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Why We Walk
HIV/AIDS has never been just an urban issue. Across rural Georgia and small towns throughout the South, communities of color — especially Black Americans — continue to bear a disproportionate burden of new diagnoses, late-stage treatment, and preventable deaths.
The numbers tell one story. The people behind them tell another.
In rural areas, the nearest HIV testing site can be 45 minutes away. Stigma keeps people from asking for help. Poverty makes medication feel like an impossible choice between pills and groceries. Families are watching their loved ones deteriorate without knowing where to turn — because no one ever told them help existed.
Evangeline Inc. was built for this moment. We exist to fill the gap — between diagnosis and care, between fear and knowledge, between isolation and community. The POWER S.T.E.P.P.E.R. 5K Walk is our declaration that no one in Central Georgia or rural areas walks this road alone.
S.T.E.P.P.E.R. — Screening · Treatment · Education · Prevention 4 Pathways to Expanded Resources — is more than an acronym. It's our roadmap for building the kind of access rural communities have been denied for too long.
Their Words. Their Truth.
Real voices from across Central Georgia.
"I drove 52 miles to get tested. When it came back positive, I had to drive 52 miles back home alone. There was nobody there to talk to. No support group, no counselor. Just me and that result."
"My brother found out he was positive three years before he told anyone. He was ashamed. He didn't even know there was medication that could make him undetectable. Nobody in our town talked about it."
"When my diagnosis came back, the clinic handed me a flyer and showed me the door. No counselor, no treatment plan, no follow-up. I went home convinced my life was over. It took three months to learn medication could make the virus undetectable — three months of living in terror for no reason."
"I didn't know Evangeline existed until a friend told me. They connected me with a caseworker, helped me get on medication, and for the first time I felt like someone was actually fighting for me."
"Testing shouldn't be a privilege. Care shouldn't depend on your zip code. Every person — no matter where they live — deserves to know their status and have a path forward."
The Reality We're Changing
Why every step matters.
1 in 5 people living with HIV in the South don't know their status
The South accounts for 52% of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States
Rural residents are 1.5x more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage of HIV
Georgia consistently ranks in the top 5 states for new HIV diagnoses annually
100% of walk proceeds support HIV/AIDS services, testing, and outreach in Central Georgia and rural areas
Sources: CDC HIV Surveillance Report | Rural Health Information Hub
We Are Closing the Gap.
Evangeline Inc. doesn't wait for change to come to us. We go where the need is — into communities, living rooms, churches, and clinics — because that is what it means to serve.
Every dollar raised from the POWER S.T.E.P.P.E.R. Walk funds:
- Free and low-cost HIV testing and linkage to care
- Educational outreach in underserved and rural communities
- Emergency assistance for those managing HIV-related expenses
- Advocacy for equitable healthcare policy in Central Georgia
This walk is powered by people who refuse to accept a world where access to care depends on geography. Join us on June 12, 2027, at Carolyn Crayton Park in Macon, Georgia — and walk with purpose. Walk with power.
Why This 5K Walk Matters
🔴 HIV in Rural America
- • Rural areas have fewer HIV testing sites
- • Many Southern counties, including Central Georgia, are high-priority zones for HIV prevention
- • Stigma causes people to delay or avoid testing and treatment
- • Transportation and clinic shortages reduce access to ongoing care
- • Rural residents experience higher rates of late diagnoses
📍 Central Georgia Needs
- • Expanded access to PrEP, PEP, and prevention education
- • More community-based HIV services
- • Increased outreach in underserved counties
- • Support for individuals living with HIV
- • Funding for testing, treatment, and care navigation
💚 How the Walk Helps
- • Free HIV testing
- • Prevention programs
- • Treatment access
- • Community outreach
- • Stigma reduction
- • Support services
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