Thousands Show Up For This Year's AIDS Walk New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The annual AIDS Walk New York is underway in Manhattan's Central Park and west side.

The walk travels inside the park, from 72nd Street to 110th Street then heads westbound to Riverside Drive.

As WCBS 880's Myles Miller reports, this year's walk was noticeably different. Thousands marched to raise money for HIV and AIDS funding as usual, but the organizers saw it as a response to the House GOP's efforts to repeal Obamacare.

"The benefits to the people that we serve are under attack and are threatened," CEO of Gay Man's Health Crisis Kelsey Louie said. "We are telling everybody and we're sending a message out to everybody that we will continue to fight."

Louie says the change and tone in Washington won't slow the group's ambitions goals towards slowing the epidemic locally.

"Our goal is the end the AIDS epidemic in New York State by 2020," he said.

Organizers estimated 20,000 people participated in Sunday's walk.