World AIDS Day honored with vigil downtown
Speakers emphasized the benefits of HIV/AIDS awareness in the community.
Published Dec. 2, 2009
Recognition of World AIDS Day in Columbia concluded with a candlelight vigil and band performances downtown Tuesday.
The evening’s events were planned by Columbia’s Regional AIDS Interfaith Network, an organization that provides assistance to people with HIV/AIDS. Trail to a Cure also helped organize for the occasion.
“We help those people with HIV or Hepatitis C get housing, utility assistance and primary physicians,” RAIN administrative assistant Ann Nichols said. “We also do a lot of education and prevention.”
Attendees of the vigil gathered at the intersection of Broadway and Ninth Street during rush hour to honor those who have been affected by AIDS and to raise awareness of the infection’s presence. They held candles, displayed banners and wore red ribbons to show their support.
“We like to use the time to remember those we’ve known and keep people aware,” RAIN Education Coordinator Dustin Hampton said. “We use this as a time to keep the memory going.”
Hampton said a lot of effort went into preparing and planning the World AIDS Day events.
“We met every week for a month and a half or two months,” Hampton said. “A lot of things have gone into this.”
Senior Allison Norman is doing a practicum at RAIN and helped plan the vigil and performances. Norman said awareness of HIV in the local community needs to be increased.
“I don’t feel like there’s enough focus on what’s going on here,” Norman said. “It seems like there’s a lot of focus on kids in Africa, but there’s a lot of people here affected by it. Focusing it on our community is really important.”
Hampton said the effects of HIV extend beyond those who contract the disease, and everyone in the community can gain something from increased awareness.
“Everyone can benefit,” Hampton said. “There’s not a person that hasn’t been affected by HIV in some form. They might not have been infected, but I’m willing to bet everyone knows someone who is infected.”
Norman said the issue is present in society, though people might not be aware someone they know has HIV.
“They’ve probably met with members of the community who are HIV positive,” Norman said. “Just because they don’t know it doesn’t mean it isn’t there and doesn’t mean this problem doesn’t exist, because it does.”
Hampton said each person can help lessen the effects of HIV.
“Each person can do something in their own life, like helping someone living with the virus, prevent someone from getting the virus or talking to your kids, “ Hampton said.
After the vigil ended, a service of remembrance was held at The Blue Note. To open the ceremony, RAIN Executive Director Cale Mitchell informed the audience there are approximately 33 million HIV-positive people worldwide, with 11,000 in Missouri. He then lit a candle, which he said signified light, hope and determination.
Columbia resident Dwayne Crowley spoke at the service. He told about his struggle with HIV and said the purpose of World AIDS Day is to speak for those who don’t have a voice.
“This is not a political agenda, there’s no homosexual agenda or financial agenda,” Crowley said. “There’s no agenda other that the fact that we are stepping in for people who have passed and people who are concerned.”
Crowley said HIV is not group-specific, and the disease infects every kind of person.
“HIV is not a homosexual disease,” Crowley said. “It’s no respecter of persons.”
To conclude the night, three local bands -- Al Holliday and the Lucky Stars, Reelfoot and ZAP -- performed a free concert at The Blue Note.