According to the World Health Organization, more than 84 million people have been infected with the HIV virus since the beginning of the epidemic which has claimed the lives of nearly 40 million men, women and children. (File Photos/DigitlFreePress.com)
World Aids Day builds awareness around ongoing struggles with HIV
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Aunt Rita’s Foundation is celebrating World AIDS Day to raise awareness for the fight against HIV with its inaugural Picnic in the Park, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Portland Parkway Park, 200 W. Portland Street in Phoenix.
Sponsored by the Matthew B. Harty Family Foundation, Picnic in the Park “honors loved ones lost to the epidemic and celebrate the advances in treatment and prevention that move us closer to ending the epidemic,” said Aunt Rita’s Foundation Executive Director Jimmy Thomason.
“The Matthew B. Harty Family Foundation is incredibly pleased and deeply humbled to be part of this incredibly meaningful event, one that is so important both in raising awareness about the progress being made in the fight against HIV and in celebrating the lives of those we have lost,” said Helene Harty Miracle.
Picnic in the Park also offers the opportunity to view the National AIDS Memorial Quilt displays, Mr. Thomason said.
The event also includes live music, food trucks and activities. Ticket prices begin at $35 for nonprofit workers and are $45 for general admission. Children under 5 are free.
“We encourage people to bring their picnic blankets and spend the day relaxing, sharing the meaning of the day and catching some sun,” Mr. Thomason said. He asked that attendees not bring pets to the event.
The theme for World AIDS Day 2022 is “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to END HIV,” and encourages people across the globe to eliminate disparities and inequities that “create barriers to HIV testing, preventing and access to HIV care.”
World AIDS Day was first observed in 1988.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 84 million people have been infected with the HIV virus since the beginning of the epidemic which has claimed the lives of nearly 40 million men, women and children. In 2021, 650,000 people died of HIV-related illnesses worldwide.
In the United States, HIV.gov reports that approximately 1.2 million people are living with HIV and nearly 13 percent are unaware they are infected.
“The fight is not over,” Mr. Thomason pointed out. “We have won and are winning some battles, but with nearly 35,000 new infections reported by the CDC in the U.S. in 2019, we have much work to do.”
With roots in Phoenix since 1988, Aunt Rita’s Foundation is dedicated to the elimination of and suffering from HIV and AIDS through collaborations with Arizona HIV service organizations and local and statewide government agencies. Aunt Rita’s Foundation helps fund HIV programs at 14 nonprofit organizations through more than $2 million in grants.
