Yesterday we commemorated the 20th World AIDS Day at the city of Miami with a candlelight memorial and tree lighting ceremony. I would like to thank everyone who participated, and who made this event possible, including our sponsor, Walgreens Corporation, the Miami-Dade County Health Department, the South Florida Aids Network, Jackson Health System, my staff and a special thanks to my good friend Mayor Kevin Burns of North Miami, for donating the Christmas tree.
This year’s international theme is a call for leadership - “Stop AIDS. Keep the promise.”
Whether you are here honoring the memory of a loved one, raising awareness about this disease, or simply because you care about others, it is important that we all lead in stopping this disease.
HIV/AIDS does not discriminate. It does care about age, race, or gender. It destroys lives, families and communities, and it will continue to do so unless we lead the way to stop the spread of AIDS.
Our Christmas tree has 175 cards in memory of loved ones who have left us and gone to rest after their battle with HIV/AIDS. These are the names of people, just like you and me, who brought us joy and laughter, who brought us smiles and tears, people who faced great odds with great courage.
Let us not forget them – let us keep the promise so that each year the roll call will become smaller and smaller.
You can help by donating canned food to the Girl Scout Tropical South Florida Troop 95. You can drop off your canned goods at the MRC building, on 444 SW 2 Avenue until December 5. The Girl Scout troops will donate the food to the Food for Life Network.
- Manny
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