World AIDS Day Vigil at City Hall

2005: Stop AIDS - Keep the Promise

A candlelight vigil tonight (Dec. 1, 2005) will mark the 17th Annual World AIDS Day, with names of those impacted by HIV/AIDS being read aloud.

The event was organized by the Plainfield-based Bayard Rustin Progressive Democrats and will take place at 7 p.m. on the steps of City Hall, 515 Watchung Ave.

Rebecca Williams, co-chair of the group, said more than 20 million people have died of AIDS since 1981 and close to 40 million people are presently living with HIV, according to the Office of Minority Health Resource Center.

Low-income women with limited access to health care are especially vulnerable to the epidemic. African-American women now make up 66 percent of HIV/AIDS diagnoses, with Latinas accounting for another 16 percent.

Participants in the vigil are asked to send names for remembrance to rebelwill7@hotmail.com or to call (908) 447-6268.

"We have all lost loved ones, and we simply want to give members of the community another opportunity to remember them," Williams said.

--Bernice Paglia


MORE INFO:
World Aids Day
http://www.worldaidsday.org/index.asp

New Jersey AIDS Facts - Kaiser Family Foundation/CDC
Click here

American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR)
http://www.amfar.org/

United Methodist Church
http://gbgm-umc.org/health/worldaidsday/

United Nations
http://www.un.org/events/aids/2005/index.html

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_AIDS_Day

AIDS.org
http://www.aids.org/