Orange County’s 23rd annual AIDS Walk was held May 16 in Anaheim, California, with more than 5,000 walkers converging on the 3.1 mile course. Despite a weakened economy, the OC’s largest annual rally against HIV brought in $480,000 in donations, PNNOnline reports.

According to the article, participants included individual walkers and teams from local companies, schools, civic organizations and religious institutions. This year, it featured information booths set up by event sponsors and a food festival where vendors donated 100 percent of their proceeds to OC AIDS Walk.

“More than 8,000 men, women and children are living with HIV/AIDS in our community,” said Phillip Yaeger, the executive director and CEO of AIDS Services Foundation Orange County (ASF), which organizes the fund-raiser. “Thanks to our OC AIDS Walk participants, 11 nonprofit organizations will receive the money they need to continue helping people living with the disease.”

The organizations benefiting from the funds raised are: ACTION (AIDS CareTeam in our Neighborhood), AEGIS, AIDS Services Foundation Orange County, The Center Orange County, Mercy House, New Life Serenity House, OC Cornerstone Outreach, Public Law Center, Shanti Orange County, Straight Talk Clinic Inc. and the University of California at Irvine (UCI) Education Center.