WAD marks 20 years in a big way
The 20th World AIDS Day has been a major success raising a total of $80,000 -” a rise in figures from last year which ACON attributed to the inaugural WAD concert.
The combination of a grand scale advertising campaign, a larger range of events and a new relationship between ACON and the AIDS Trust led to one of NSW’s most successful WADs in recent years.
Hundreds attended memorial services around the state, including the annual candlelight vigil held outside Paddington Town Hall and a City of Sydney-hosted gathering at Taylor Square, which was attended by Deputy Mayor Marcelle Hoff, ACON president Mark Orr, celebrities Matthew Mitcham and Charlotte Dawson and
Surry Hills Police.
These ribbons are a sign of hope, they’re a sign that people care and that together we will work to stop the spread of HIV infection and reduce the impact of AIDS in our society, Hoff told the crowd.
Orr reiterated that it was an important time to remind people of the part they play. It’s the job of everyone in the community to work together because it’s only by working together in our local areas and communities and internationally that we can stop the spread of HIV.
It was a responsibility many took seriously, with over 1500 people buying a red ribbon, 200 people donating their time to sell merchandise and 300 businesses carrying a red ribbon box in NSW alone.
