WNCAP
was very pleased to once again bring 20 sections of the AIDS
Memorial Quilt to Asheville as part of our World AIDS Day
observance. The Quilt’s were on display at Pack Place from November
23 – December 2 and were visited by thousands of people from
Asheville and the surrounding areas. On December 1, we held a
Candlelight Memorial Vigil attended by over 400 people including the
Mayor of Asheville, Terry Bellamy and also County Commissioner,
David Gantt.
A very special thank you to each of you who
attended the events of World AIDS Day, to those of you who
volunteered your time and talents in making this possible and to the
World AIDS Day team: Vicki O’Leary, Mark Field, Chris Winebrenner,
Michael Harney, Natalie Keifer, Mike Fann, Harry Brown, Ken Wilson,
Wilma Pomerantz.
If you have a friend or loved one who is
memorialized on the AIDS Memorial Quilt and would like to have their
panel included in a future exhibit, please drop me a note at
pamsiekman@earthlink.net or contact
the WNCAP office at 252-7489.
Photographs from The Quilt and Candlelight
Vigil
World AIDS Day 2009
World AIDS Day began in 1988
as a way to raise funds, educate and build awareness in the fight against
AIDS. It is a universal day acknowledged across the globe with continued
support from The United Nations, The World AIDS Foundation, and a multitude
of others. World AIDS Day offers an opportunity for all people to join
together in solidarity, to lift a single voice to the needs of millions.
Many area
musicians volunteered their talents to make this event even more
special. Click here to learn more about these very special people.
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As a new component to this year's exhibit of The Quilt, we had WNCAP
Educators on site at scheduled times to deliver “age appropriate” updates
AIDS today as well as HIV-101. There was plenty of information available
in the Gallery at Pack Place to help educate and inform individuals on the
issues of HIV and AIDS today.
This year the global theme for
World AIDS Day was “Universal Access and Human Rights”, a message that
speaks clearly to the rights of all people around the world. Everyone
deserves to live their rights –
the Right to live
the Right to health
Access for all to HIV
prevention, treatment, care and support is a critical part of Human
Rights and Universal Access.
The campaign
reminds me of WNCAP’s “I Need U to Know” campaign, another voice for Human
Rights. For more information on the global theme for World AIDS Day, visit
the
World AIDS Campaign web site.
Andie
MacDowell, Honorary Spokesperson for World AIDS Day, Asheville.
Ms MacDowell
often speaks out on the fight against AIDS and we certainly appreciate her
commitment to WNCAP and the WNC community.
If you’d like
to volunteer during this very special event please contact Chris Winebrenner
at wncapvolunteer@wncap.org
If you would like a digital
copy of any photograph ,email
Ken Wilson. Please
include the gallery name (eg: "Quilt Raising, Champagne")
and the number of the photo (located below the photograph)
as well as a brief description of the photograph content.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt is
an inspirational and intimate memorial to those who have died from AIDS.
There are over 47,000 panels that make up the Quilt and it has been seen
by over 16 million people since 1987. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is
intended to foster healing, heighten awareness and inspire action in the
age of AIDS.
WNCAP blended these two initiatives together from November
23 – December 1,
2009.
Asheville and the surrounding areas had the opportunity to view
the Quilt in a public and free exhibit, and then come together to
remember the lives of those who have died from AIDS, those who are
living with HIV/AIDS, the care takers, the orphaned children, and
doctors and nurses, and the countless number of friends and families who
continue to grieve.
World AIDS Day
began in 1988 in an effort to assist the United Nations in keeping the
fight against AIDS on the agenda of our global political leaders. It is
a day of solidarity around the globe recognizing those who have died,
those who are living with the disease and affected by the disease, the
advances in science and medicine, the unending funding requirements, the
ongoing tragedies resulting from the disease such as AIDS orphans, and
so much more.
(Lyrics)
Interested in remembering a
loved one by
creating a panel for
The AIDS Memorial Quilt?
WNCAP would like to help.
Email Chris in Volunteer
Services or call him
at 828-252-7489.
WNCAP
was very pleased to once again bring 20 sections of the AIDS
Memorial Quilt to Asheville as part of our World AIDS Day
observance. The Quilt’s were on display at Pack Place from November
23 – December 2 and were visited by thousands of people from
Asheville and the surrounding areas. On December 1, we held a
Candlelight Memorial Vigil attended by over 400 people including the
Mayor of Asheville, Terry Bellamy and also County Commissioner,
David Gantt. 
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