FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Team Wicked Raises $18,000 at 2019 AIDS Walk LA, Earning Over $130k to Date for APLA Health 

LOS ANGELES (October 24, 2019) – Led by humanitarian, activist, sex educator and Wicked Pictures contract star jessica drake, Team Wicked raised $18,000, placing 7th among all teams, at the 35th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles held on October 20 in downtown Los Angeles.  

“I am so proud of Team Wicked and all our supporters and donors who came out in force,” said jessica drake. “We really felt a strong push this year which demonstrated both dedication and determination to raise needed funds for AIDS and HIV medical and other related services. I am thankful to Ken from APLA, who has enabled us to do our very best this year, I’m grateful to Steve and everyone at Wicked Pictures and Wicked Sensual Care for their constant support and encouragement, and I am impressed with the fundraising efforts of Brad Armstrong this year. To each and every person that showed up and did the walk and attended my birthday brunch, thank you. Showing up is one of the best things we can do for one another. My birthday was the greatest.”  

The team, made up of adult industry members and other supporters, raised $18,000, or nearly double last year’s take of $10,000, for Team Wicked, which has been a mainstay at AIDS Walk Los Angeles for seven consecutive years. The new tally increases Team Wicked’s fund-raising total to $133,000 for the annual AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) event which this year gathered over ten thousand walkers from a variety of companies and organizations to walk the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) course in Downtown Los Angeles.

All proceeds from AIDS Walk Los Angeles will go toward APLA’s health services, which include primary medical care, HIV specialty care, HIV prevention and education programs and more. 

Besides serving as team captain, drake also leads the team in fund-raising, ranking among the top ten overall among ten thousand individual walkers. She is followed by acclaimed director/performer Brad Armstrong who placed in the top twenty walkers. 

“Doing AIDS Walk LA always gives such a great sense of accomplishment and feeling good about doing something important for the community and helping those in need,” Armstrong said. “Over the years, we at Wicked have tried to team up with a number of charities to lend our support, but many of them have unfortunately turned us down citing they can’t be associated with the Adult Industry and decline our “Dirty Porn Money.”

He continued, “AIDS Walk LA has been the total opposite. Their focus is on getting funds to help those in need and building lasting partnerships to make that happen. Over the last seven plus years they have embraced Team Wicked and treated us as valued supporters. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Teams and walkers are still able to accept donations through November 15th, so if readers would still like to donate and support the cause, they may do so here: https://secure.aidswalkla.org/teamwicked. 

“I appreciate and am proud of and support jessica’s continued efforts to help raise money through AIDS Walk for APLA and do it on behalf of Wicked,” said Steve Orenstein, owner of Wicked Pictures. Her tireless work does not go unnoticed. While Brad Armstrong has always been involved in this cause too, this year he stepped up his fundraising as well and we appreciate his efforts. Team Wicked had 18 walkers with over 150 individual donations and came in 7th place, each of which is amazing on their own. We thank all that came out and supported the team as well as those that could not make it and supported financially!”b

This year’s Team Wicked included drake and Armstrong, along with Kylie Ireland, Jessie Lee, Ashley Manta, Hernando Chavez, Jamye Waxman, Sailor Luna, Jessica Johnson, Charlie Padow, Andy Appleton, Rae Threat, Jo, Natassia Dreams, Lotus Lain, Daniel Metcalf, Adella Curry, and Long Le. 

About AIDS Walk Los Angeles:

The world’s first AIDS Walk was developed by Craig R. Miller in 1984, during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Seeing the need for immediate action in response to this public-health emergency, Miller sought to fill the void left by the government’s negligible response to the crisis. Drawing on his experience as a political and community organizer, Miller’s approach combined grassroots activism with fundraising and other campaign strategies to raise both awareness and urgently needed funds for the fight against AIDS. Miller brought his idea to the fledgling AIDS service organization, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), who hired the young activist to produce this new event. Miller and APLA expected to draw a crowd of 1,000 supporters and raise $100,000 for this very first AIDS Walk. On July 28, 1985 in Los Angeles, 4,500 courageous and visionary people assembled at Paramount Studios and raised an astonishing $673,000. Since 1985, AIDS Walk Los Angeles has drawn over a half-million participants who have collectively raised more than $72 million for APLA. The event serves as a model of grassroots fundraising and community activism for organizations across the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aidswalk.net/

About jessica drake:

An exclusive Wicked Pictures performer, writer, and director, as well as a global humanitarian and emerging sexual wellness authority, jessica drake’s brilliant career is illuminated by her prodigious talent and adult industry clout. A recipient of three coveted AVN Best Actress awards and AVN’s Mainstream Star of the Year honor, jessica has solidified her status as one of the industry’s most illustrious stars. However, it is her time invested in healing, working alongside, and educating the public of which she is most proud. In her self-directed, written, and produced “jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex” series of instructional videos, jessica brings erotic topics to life through intimate demonstrations performed by some of today’s top adult stars. Each edition addresses a different aspect of human sexuality, which is presented in the spirit of inclusion and explored with a distinct blend of knowledge, experience, and good humor. The series has earned recognition from AVN, XBIZ, and The Feminist Porn Awards, and is available on DVD, VOD and multiple streaming platforms. 

A charismatic public speaker, the same demand for her modern sex education DVDs also takes jessica around the world – presenting seminars and workshops at expos, retail outlets, and colleges like USC, UCLA, and Chapman University – where she speaks to curious adults desiring to learn more about sex, romance, and communication. jessica also continues to be a paramount voice for sex workers across the world – she’s spoken at the Let Us Survive March, a rally for sex worker rights, and was a repeat sponsor of one of the first summits for sex workers, CatalystCon.

While jessica is certainly a performer at heart, her passion for sex education, advocacy, and inclusion are just as potent. “My passion comes from personal experience,” she states candidly, “from the idea we are all connected.”

For more information about jessica drake, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Keywords: 

jessica drake, thejessicadrake, Team Wicked, Wicked Pictures, AIDS Walk LA, APLA, fundraising, Los Angeles, jessica drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex, instructional, sex ed, sex education, adult entertainment, sex, HIV, AIDS, October 20, Kylie Ireland, Jessie Lee, Ashley Manta, Hernando Chavez, Jamye Waxman, Sailor Luna, Rae Threat, Natassia Dreams, Lotus Lain, Brad Armstrong 

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