For more than four decades, Oakwood School has been a dedicated and passionate participant in AIDS Walk Los Angeles.
What began in 1984 as an act of courage, with just 12 students walking through Paramount Studios amid public protest, has evolved into one of Oakwood’s most meaningful and enduring traditions. This year, 107 students registered for the event, contributing to the school’s most successful fundraising year yet: an incredible $65,000 raised, more than any other participating team.
At the heart of this effort is Oakwood’s longtime Social Studies faculty member Mickey Morgan, who has guided the school’s involvement since that very first walk. For him, the AIDS Walk has always been about more than philanthropy; it’s a lesson in courage, empathy, and community action, values central to the Oakwood experience.
“That first walk was an act of bravery,” Mickey recalls. He remembers the seriousness of that day in 1984: “We faced a lot of public opposition at that time. People lined the sidewalks screaming at us, and many marched with photos of family and friends who had died.”
Mickey emphasizes the lessons that emerged from that experience, lessons that continue to resonate today: the importance of standing up for what you believe in, even when it’s unpopular; doing so alongside others; and finding joy in the process.
In the many years since, Oakwood students have continued the AIDS walk tradition, meeting adversity with motivation and creativity. They have pinwheels to carry during the march, bright symbols of hope and visibility in the crowd, and have developed fundraising campaigns that have inspired their peers. What began as a small show of support has grown into an educational, community-wide tradition that reflects Oakwood’s belief in learning through experience.
“Education is about having important experiences and being able to reflect on them,” Mickey says. “The AIDS Walk gives students both.”
Each year, students form a committee, led by seniors and juniors who mentor the next group of participants, to coordinate Oakwood’s AIDS Walk efforts. Together, they write outreach letters, raise funds, organize logistics, and engage directly with APLA Health, the organization that hosts the event. APLA Health is the largest nonprofit provider of HIV/AIDS services in Los Angeles County, offering a range of services, including healthcare, housing assistance, mental health support, and food security programs.
In September, Oakwood also hosted an evening conversation with leaders from APLA Health, giving students and families insight into the ongoing fight against healthcare inequities and the real-world impact of their fundraising efforts.
“Students learned a lot about the kinds of care people need, and who’s often excluded from it,” Mickey explains.
He contemplates how, after the pandemic, student engagement and donations surged dramatically, culminating in this year’s record-breaking total. Mickey attributes this to something more than just motivation. “Times are bleak,” he reflects. “People want to feel they can make a difference. For our students, this is a way to do something real, to turn awareness into action.”
And it’s working. Oakwood’s team this year included 20 Star Walkers, students who each raised more than $1,000, a record not just for the school but for the AIDS Walk itself. The team even drew attention from ABC7 News and a personal shout-out from Craig Thompson, CEO of APLA Health, during the opening ceremony.
For many students, the AIDS Walk is more than a one-day event; it’s transformative, carrying a lasting ripple effect throughout their lives. Many Oakwood alumni have continued AIDS-related advocacy in college, some joining campus chapters of the Pediatric AIDS Foundation at UCLA and others initiating new service efforts of their own. “It’s about connection,” Mickey says. “Students meet and work with adults who have dedicated their lives to something meaningful. They see that doing good can be joyful.”
As Oakwood celebrates more than four decades of participation, the AIDS Walk remains both a critical fundraising effort and a formative journey for students, allowing them to engage with the world with integrity and purpose. “This is one of many moments that open students up to the diversity of people in the world,” he shares. “Everyone out there has a life and a way of looking at the world. And if they’re not brutalizing other people, they should be welcome—not just tolerated, but welcome—because they contribute to the richness of the fabric of the world. It’s important to raise kids who take this to heart, and the best way to do that is to give them experiences that shape how they see the world.”
Through the AIDS Walk and Oakwood’s relationship with APLA Health, Oakwood students are doing just that: turning compassion into action, understanding into empathy, and belief into lived experience.
