UFT Pride Committee Chair Rashad Brown (left) and the UFT contingent are shown love — and a colorful costume — by a member of the Bloodline Dance Theatre.
Karen Miller, a teacher at PS/MS 57 in Manhattan, broke her own personal record at the 41st annual AIDS Walk on May 17 in Manhattan: She raised $3,100, continuing her streak as the UFT’s top fundraiser each year since she started marching in 2023. “Every year, I feel more and more supported in this work by my community,” said Miller, reporting that a good number of her 73 donations came from District 4 chapter leaders. She describes herself as a “strong ally” and enjoys the camaraderie of marching and raising money, calling it “time well-spent.” The union raised about $7,000 at this year’s walk, which is a fundraiser for organizations specializing in HIV/AIDS services, public health and social justice. “We’re close to getting a handle on this epidemic,” Rashad Brown, the UFT Pride Committee chair, said. “In the next 10 years, my lips to God, HIV/AIDS will be a thing of the past.”