The Lansing Area AIDS Network (LAAN) along with the greater Lansing community is hosting a program recognizing World AIDS Day on Tuesday, December 1st at the Hannah Community Center in East Lansing. Every 9Ω minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Tim Barron, of Barron Enterprises and morning radio host at Lansing s radio station, WQTX 92.1 FM will emcee the event. This program is part of a global event that is used to inform, educate and build awareness about HIV and AIDS around the world. Currently there are 33 million people globally who are living with HIV or AIDS.
The World AIDS Day program at Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, East Lansing, MI begins at 11 a.m. and features people in our community speaking about the effects of living with HIV. The Greater Lansing s Gay Men s Chorus will perform and panels from the Names Project quilt will be displayed. The program will end with a short candlelight vigil led by Rev. Kari Nicewander from Edgewood United Church of Christ. This vigil focuses on remembering those who have succumbed to HIV/AIDS and to recognize those living with the disease today. Everyone is welcome to attend this event.
Other local events regarding World AIDS Day include:
The Lansing Area AIDS Network is doing walk-in testing at LAAN from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1st.
The Ingham County Health Department (ICHD) is recognizing those who experienced the impact of HIV/AIDS on World AIDS Day by providing educational and safer sex materials during the World AIDS Day program at Hannah Community Center. Knowing your HIV status is important. Please take the opportunity to get tested. ICHD offers free HIV rapid testing and Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) testing. For more information go to www.hd.ingham.org; call 887-4424 to schedule an appointment.
The Lansing Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in partnership with LAAN, ICHD and the Greater Lansing African American Health Institute are commemorating World AIDS Day with a community dialogue, Black Women Are Greater Than AIDS. This event will take place at the Delta Township Public Library, 5130 Davenport Drive (off Elmwood, North of Lansing Mall) on Wednesday, December 1st from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Refreshments provided. For more information please contact Andrea King Collier at: andycollier11@comcast.net
The Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Olin Health Center at MSU will be tying red ribbons around trees on MSU s campus in memory of those who have passed from complications due to AIDS. There will be free, HIV walk-in testing at Olin Health Center from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and a vigil at The Rock on MSU s campus at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1st.
It is estimated that 18,800 people in Michigan are living with HIV or AIDS. UNAIDS estimated that during the year 2008, some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 2 million people died from AIDS. These statistics clearly show that the AIDS pandemic is not over.
For more information contact Matthew Hulbert, Prevention Coordinator, Lansing Area AIDS Network, 913 W. Holmes Rd., Lansing, MI 48910. He may also be reached at 517-394-3719 ext 30 or by e-mail: mhulbert@laanonline.org.
