性色堂 Announces Partnership with National AIDS Memorial
Vivent听Health Announces Partnership with National AIDS Memorial
Partnership will raise awareness听about the history听and current state of听the听HIV/AIDS epidemic听
June听23, 2020听–听Vivent听Health announced today a听long-term听partnership听with the National AIDS Memorial, a nonprofit听devoted to the remembrance of people lost to AIDS that听works听to ensure the legacy and ongoing struggle with AIDS is never forgotten. As the Premier听National Community Partner听of听the AIDS Memorial Quilt,听Vivent听Health is听providing听a听monetary听gift听over five years听to support AIDS Memorial Quilt听programs and educational听activities,听including displays of the Quilt in communities across the United States.听
Under the care and stewardship of the听National AIDS Memorial, the Quilt serves as听a visual reminder of the AIDS epidemic and continues as the largest ongoing community art project in the world. Today, the Quilt听is a powerful social justice teaching tool, weighing more than 54 tons, and听having听grown to听nearly听50,000听3-by 6-foot memorial听panels,听individually sewn together to tell the personal stories of 105,000 lives lost to AIDS.听听听
Vivent听Health and听the听National AIDS Memorial听begin听the听partnership by announcing that听ten sections of the Quilt, consisting of 80听individual听panels, will be on display at听Vivent听Health听offices听in听six cities in听Colorado, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin.听The Quilt听sections听on display听have been chosen to include panels that听represent听each听geographic area听and will听be听rotated听within听性色堂鈥檚听locations听throughout the year, providing听an important educational听resource for employees and听the public about HIV/AIDS.听听
鈥淭oday, the Quilt听remains听a powerful social justice teaching tool that represents so many lives lost to HIV/AIDS,鈥� said National AIDS Memorial听Executive听Director John Cunningham.听 鈥淲ith the support from partners like听Vivent听Health, we are able to ensure that the lives and stories the Quilt represents can be shared in communities across the country, and used to help educate communities in the fight against HIV/AIDS.鈥�听
The听AIDS听Quilt was conceived by long-time San Francisco gay rights activist Cleve Jones, who is also a dear friend and active supporter of听Vivent听Health.听In 1985, while planning听an annual candlelight听march听to honor men like San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone,听Jones听learned that more than 1,000 San Franciscans had听died from听AIDS-related complications.听Jones听asked each of his fellow marchers to write the names of friends and loved ones who had died听on placards. At the end of the march, Jones and others stood on ladders taping these placards to the walls of the San Francisco Federal Building. The wall of names looked like a patchwork quilt.听It was this seemingly simple act of love and defiance听that led to the first panels of the Quilt being听created,听and听sparking听a national movement that continues today.听听
鈥淭he enormity of loss and social injustice the Quilt represents is so profound and it听visually captures the painful journey of the HIV/AIDS crisis that our country听continues to听face听four decades听later,鈥澨� said听Cleve Jones.听 鈥淚 am truly moved by the leadership of听Vivent听Health听in supporting听the Quilt听and听helping听share听the Quilt鈥檚听powerful story, particularly听in听helping听reach communities most impacted by HIV/AIDS today.鈥澨�听
Since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1980, more than 700,000 people have died from AIDS-related complications in the United States. Today, there are more than 1.1 million people currently living with HIV in the United States,听and an estimated 1 in 7 people do not know they have HIV. In 2018,听nearly 38,000 people received an HIV diagnosis in the United States,听with听Black/African American gay and bisexual men accounting for the largest number of HIV diagnoses.听The partnership between听Vivent听Health and National AIDS Memorial will collaboratively raise awareness and reach communities and populations adversely impacted by HIV.听