World AIDS Day: 2,000 Red Balloons to Signify AIDS Deaths

Seattle, WA — Every hour, 240 people die of AIDS around the world. That's more than 2,000 people who die during the typical nine-hour workday, every day.

World Concern, the Seattle-based Christian relief and development organization, will illustrate the magnitude of those deaths by displaying one red balloon for every life lost between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30. By day's end, 2,160 red balloons will be displayed in front of World Concern's international headquarters at 19303 Fremont Ave. N., on the CRISTA campus.

World AIDS Day is Dec. 1, and the display at World Concern is one of dozens of activities that World Concern staff have organized to draw attention to the disease and to opportunities to prevent it. This year's World AIDS Day theme is "Take the Lead," meaning that every person can play a role in helping to stem the pandemic. World Concern's HIV/AIDS staff in Seattle this week will hold information sessions on AIDS for CRISTA Ministries employees and students at Seattle Urban Academy and Kings High School.

In Vietnam, our staff will hold World AIDS Day events in Hanoi and Ninh Binh province to promote the hiring of people with disabilities, including HIV/AIDS. The activities will include speeches by Vietnamese, World Bank and UN officials; an auction of items made by people with HIV/AIDS; music, plays and games.

World Concern is a major provider of HIV/AIDS programs around the world, including training and support for caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children affected by AIDS; palliative care for people with AIDS; and prevention and education for at-risk youth and adults.

"AIDS is not confined to a single continent or socioeconomic class, nor is it limited to certain lifestyles or behaviors," said World Concern HIV/AIDS coordinator Megan Svec. "AIDS permeates every race, religion, country, and class. Worldwide, AIDS impacts not only health in the broad sense of the word, but economies, security, and political stability."

By raising awareness, Svec said, "We can incite action, and the theme of "Leadership" for this year's World AIDS Day calls for such action. This means more than holding world leaders accountable to their promises to fight AIDS. It calls everyone to be a leader, to take action. As thousands of people die every day due to AIDS, this growing pandemic is becoming more and more relevant to each of us."

World Concern served more than 5 million people last year, working directly with families and communities to eliminate core causes of poverty. We serve in more than 32 countries, and are part of the CRISTA Ministries family. To learn more, go to our website, www.worldconcern.org.