WEST HOLLYWOOD—World AIDS Day is an annually held event to unite people around the globe in the fight against HIV/AIDS and honors the lives of those who lost their lives to the disease. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day event and the very first one to be held was in 1988.

World AIDS Day is December 1. Photo courtesy of oneworldaidsday2011.org

This year the City of West Hollywood will celebrate World AIDS Day on December 1 with two public events. There will be an AIDS Memorial Quilt on display along with information about HIV/AIDS Services available at the West Hollywood City Hall building.

A breakfast reception will take place at the West Hollywood Library Community Room located at 625 North San Vicente Blvd. from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The event will recognize awardees of the 11th Annual Park Starke Warrior Awards honoring employees or volunteers that made vital contributions toward the fight against the disease. The special guest speaker Mark Katz will be addressing this year’s World AIDS Day along with the 30th Anniversary of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The next event to be held will be the reception program for the project, “They Were among Us: Reflection on 30 Years of the AIDS Epidemic and the Beginning of the ONE AIDS Memorial Project.” This event will be at the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives located at 909 West Adams Blvd. in Los Angeles. This project recognizes the lives lost through the disease and touches on the significant impact HIV/AIDS has had on society throughout the years.

After the reception, a special program will be held that discusses history, testimony and memories of those affected by HIV/AIDS. Distinguished Guest Speakers will include honorable people who may have experienced the AIDS epidemic early on such as survivors, physicians, activists, writers and performers.

The time of the event is from 6:30 p.m. - 9p.m. Admission is free but reservations are required at One World AIDS Day 2011, oneworldaidsday2011.org.

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