World AIDS Day is December 1!
Here are a few important events going on in Chicago to honor the occasion.
World AIDS Day is an opportunity to celebrate the gains made in ending the epidemic, embrace those living with HIV/AIDS, and commemorate those who have died from complications with AIDS.
It’s also an occasion for HIV testing, advocacy, education, and celebration.
If you’re in the Chicago area, consider attending these World AIDS Day events!
Black Friday Prevention Health Ball
Enjoy the Black Friday Prevention Health Ball on Friday, November 29, at the Grand Ballroom, 6351 S. Cottage Grove, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event is free, there will be hourly raffles, and attendees will have an opportunity to participate in free HIV and hepatitis C testing. Funded by the Chicago Department of Public Health, the ball is sponsored, in part, by AFC.
The Normal Heart
The Windy City is welcoming Larry Kramer’s Tony Award-winning play, The Normal Heart, to TimeLine Theatre Company, and AFC is selling tickets for Sunday, December 1. It’s a drama about the AIDS movement in the early 1980s, before doctors even had a name for this disease.
Proceeds will benefit AFC—but only if you reserve your seat through AFC. Click here to purchase your tickets today!
We also encourage you to visit our Inside Story blog to learn more about the play.
Dallas Buyers Club
Go to the movies! Watch Dallas Buyers Club, a film about Texan Ron Woodroof (played by Matthew McConaughey), who is diagnosed with HIV and fights to save his life by searching for alternative treatments.
Before you go, though, check out this review about the movie and its importance this World AIDS Day.
Free HIV Testing on the Loop
AFC and many of its partners will offer free, confidential HIV testing on Sunday, December 1 and Monday, December 2 at 15 Walgreens locations through Chicago:
| 3405 S. King Drive 7410 N. Clark Street 4101 1st Avenue 5874 S. Archer Avenue 11 E. 75th Street 1903 Calumet Avenue 5625 N. Ridge Avenue |
3301 Glenview Road 400 W. 81st Avenue 10 N. Milwaukee Avenue 5932 W. Cermak Road 8628 S. Cottage Grove 2924 E. 92nd Street 5435 S. Kedzie Avenue |
21 Rand Road 5730 Dempster Street 4445 S. Calumet Avenue 28 W. 104 Warrenville Road 4740 W. 95th Street 522 Torrence Avenue 4720 N. Marine Drive |
Reaffirm Your Commitment to the Denver Principles
The Denver Principles are, in essence, the Bill of Rights for people living with HIV. They changed our health care system and continue to have a positive, profound impact on our community.
AFC is marking World AIDS Day by reaffirming our commitment to the Denver Principles, and we encourage you to do the same. Learn more through this short blog post by David Ernesto Munar, AFC’s CEO/President.
Legends Lunch All Star Awards
TransActions presents the Legends Lunch All Star Awards, a World AIDS Day Ceremony in association with the Chicago Department of Public Health on Sunday, December 1, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. For more information, contact Joy Morris at [email protected].
Vida/Sida Vigil and Gala
Also on Sunday, December 1, Vida/Sida will hold a vigil in commemoration of World AIDS Day from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. at Casita de Don Pedro, 2625 W. Division Street.
Afterward, Vida/Sida will host its 25th Anniversary Dinner and Gala from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, 3015 W. Division Street. Among those honored will be Carmen Velazquez, Executive Director of Alivio Medical Center; Dora Garcia, Associate Executive Director of Alivio Medical Center; state Sen. William Delgado; state Sen. Iris Martinez; state Rep. Cynthia Soto; state Rep. Maria Antonia Berrios; and state Rep. Luis Arreyo.
World of Chocolate
This is Chicago’s most sumptuous World AIDS Day event! World of Chocolate is a gala benefit for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. The event is a celebration of possibilities in both the confectionary kitchen and the arena of global health.
Join us on Friday, December 6, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Great Hall in Chicago Union Station, 500 W. Jackson Avenue. Tickets are available for $150 at the door.
