More than 800 people are expected to lace up their walking shoes for the Desert AIDS Project's 22nd AIDS Walk today.

Some are walking to show God's love. Some to elicit a giggle. Others because the safe sex talk isn't just for young, gay men.

Some have been diagnosed with HIV, or know someone who has.

They started the walk for different reasons, but they're all walking — to borrow from this year's theme — “because AIDS is not over!”

Here are their stories:

‘A witness'

AIDS is not quite the stigma it once was.

But the Rev. Andrew Green, pastor of the Church of St. Paul in the Desert in Palm Springs and a longtime DAP board member, remembers all too well when it was.

A parishioner once asked if he was allowed to conduct funerals for those who had died of AIDS, and it broke Green's heart.

Green saw participating in the Desert AIDS Walk as an opportunity to show off his collar.

“I always thought it was important for people to know that there are clergy that support HIV/AIDS. I wanted there to be a witness that the church cared for these people.”

He's been raising money and walking in the fundraiser ever since, even when the event conflicted with Sunday services. On those years, Green and church members walked after church, after the event was over.

This year's church team has raised roughly $4,000 and counting.

In the 21 years he has walked the walk, Green has seen many more pastors across the religious spectrum join him in embracing those living with HIV/AIDS.

The way he sees it, HIV patients need more ministerial support because AIDS is not like other diseases such as lung cancer, which killed his mother who smoked for 50 years.

“Nobody said, ‘I hope you rot in hell, you smoker,'” Green said. “But people were saying that to those dying of HIV and AIDS.”

Click and give

Jeff Jones hates asking people for money.

Thanks to Facebook, he hasn't had to.

Jones, who works as a program services assistant for DAP, has raised more than $800 this year for the AIDS Walk without awkward conversations about money.

“Last year, I really got family to donate,” the Palm Springs man said. “This year, I did everything on Facebook pretty much.”

On Tuesday at 5:56 p.m., he posted:

“Less than a week until the AIDS Walk!!! We are all very excited about the event this year. Hope to see you all there. I am just $220 away from reaching my $1,000 goal to raise money for Desert AIDS Project. All donations to the AIDS Walk will help ensure that we can provide free testing as well as other programs that were affected by the California state budget cuts.”

The link he attached allows friends to donate — and cheer him on — with a click of the mouse.

“This is sort of a passive- aggressive way to get people to contribute,” he said.

Let's talk about sex

Harriet Goldberg's generation never talked about sex.

But the advent of Viagra and Cialis means more seniors are enjoying sex in their twilight years and are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

In 2005, people 50 years and older accounted for about 24 percent of all those living with HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Goldberg — a member of DAP's fundraising group, 100 Women — remembers her first sex talk with a recently widowed friend.

“We never ever talked about sex in our entire 35-year friendship,” the 75-year-old Rancho Mirage woman said. “I told her I wanted to talk about safe sex. I said, ‘Well, honey, not all of the people who are HIV are young men.'

“It's not a moral judgment, I told her. It's a health judgment.”

The best medicine

Rick Draughon traditionally has worn a wacky hat for the AIDS walk.

Not this year.

The Palm Springs man plans to wear a feather mask with a wizard costume.

After all, the walk falls on Halloween.

For Draughon, the costume is optional. Having a sense of humor is not.

“Usually, I'm a witch on Halloween,” said Draughon, a DAP client who has walked the past eight years.

“My philosophy on being sick and everything is that laughter is the best medicine.

“There's more out there than moping around feeling sorry for yourself.”

Draughon has lived with HIV for 20-plus years.

Six years ago while making a crazy hat for the walk, Draughon's neighbor, Brett Wallis, struck up a conversation about DAP and the walk. The next day, he was given a check with lots of zeros — $25,000 from the Wallis Foundation, founded by Hollywood producer Hal Wallis.

This year's check?

It's $50,000, making Draughon the walk's top fundraiser.

“If organizations like DAP are to continue offering all their wonderful services to those with HIV/AIDS while helping lead the fight locally against further infections, donations of any size are important,” Draughon wrote in a blog for the walk.

“Until there's a cure.”

‘Rocket Man' gifts

Since 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised more than $150 million to support HIV prevention and direct care programs in 55 countries.

Twice his foundation has given $25,000 grants to the Desert AIDS Project.

But the Grammy-winning music legend has also written personal checks for Patrick Jordan — who did promotional work for John in the '90s — to take a stroll for charity in the Palm Springs AIDS Walk.

“That was in another lifetime,” Jordan said of his days in the record business.

This year, the Rocket Man gave $5,000, making Jordan and his business partner, Stewart Smith, some of the event's top fundraisers.

To date, the duo has collected roughly $13,000.

“The whole philosophy behind the Elton John AIDS Foundation is that they only want to give to nonprofits that provide direct care,” Jordan said.

“There is a lot of money for research. They wanted to affect people in need.”