Hundreds of community members are expected to join AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) at a candlelight vigil and march to mark the 30th anniversary of the discovery of HIV. The "Remember AIDS" event—which will take place on Sunday, June 5th—will begin with a gathering at Matthew Shepard Memorial Park (on Santa Monica Blvd. at Crescent Heights) at 7:00 pm. The march itself starts at 8:00 pm. After arriving at West Hollywood Park (on San Vicente between Santa Monica Blvd. and Melrose) at around 9:00 pm, participants will view a large-screen projection of names of those who have died from HIV/AIDS (from www.aidswatch.org) since it was first discovered in 1981. At the end of the march, famed recording artist Sam Harris will sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" live during a video tribute highlighting key moments in HIV/AIDS.
"'Remember AIDS' is tribute to all of those who have been lost to HIV/AIDS as well as to the estimated 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide today. The event is also an opportunity to look ahead, as we renew efforts to increase access to HIV testing, prevention and treatment locally, nationally and globally," said Cynthia Davis, Domestic Vice Chair of AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Board of Directors. "Those of us in the field have fought a Herculean battle for thirty years. We have had many victories and defeats. We now know what works and what doesn't. We know that it is critical to find the people who are HIV-positive and don't know it in order to break the chain of new infections. We know that only a fraction of people living with HIV in the world are currently receiving treatment. We know that universal access to condoms and science-based sex education will reduce new infections. There is no better time, as we mark thirty years of AIDS, to recommit ourselves to saving as many of the thirty-three million lives as we can, and to ending AIDS."
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