In December, the weather outside in Minneapolis might be frightful, but the support for local HIV organization The Aliveness Project is always delightful. The group hosted its largest Red Undie Run yet and met its fundraising goal by raising over $55,000 in support of people living with HIV in Minnesota.

The Red Undie Run is a popular community event held annually on World AIDS Day to raise funds to help the Aliveness Project, which provides free HIV services to thousands of Minnesotans living with or at risk for HIV. The run also honors those who have died of HIV and AIDS and aims to fight the stigma associated with the disease.

 

The Red Undie Run fundraiser raked in $56,300. The money raised will fund the Aliveness Project’s pharmacy, community center and new Thrive clinic, which opened on World AIDS Day.

 

 

The event kicked off in the heart of Minneapolis at Tom’s Watch Bar, where more than 400 runners stripped down to their red undies, bras, boxers or thongs to brave the cold and trek about a mile through town across the iconic Stone Arch Bridge. Finishers celebrated at an afterparty at the bar and grill The Saloon.

 

“Whether you’re running, cheering or donating, today is about coming together for a cause that matters,” the Project wrote via Instagram.

 

Almost 10,000 people in Minnesota are living with HIV, and an additional 1,100 people are unaware that they have the virus, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. In 2023, 324 Minnesotans were diagnosed with HIV, up about 24% from 2022.

 

While the Aliveness Project links people to HIV resources, its new Thrive clinic provides free HIV support services, including HIV testing, counseling, harm reduction, mental health resources and prescriptions for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—medications used by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of contracting HIV.

 

 

“The love and support from the community—both people living with HIV and people not, and allies and the LGBT community—have really turned out here year after year even in this frigid, frigid weather that we have,” one participant told CBS News.

 

To read more, click #Minnesota or #Access to Care. There, you’ll find headlines such as “Red Ribbon Ride Wraps Up Amid an HIV Outbreak in the Twin Cities,” “HIV Outbreak Reported in Minneapolis and Surrounding Area” and “Two HIV Service Providers Close in Minneapolis.”