LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
In Brief |
Hit the Streets for the Delaware AIDS Walk
Start off walking, and you could end up flying with round trip tickets from USAirways, the grand prize at the 1999 Delaware AIDS Walk in Wilmington, Sunday, September 26. There will be activities for the entire familymusic, entertainment, food and admission to Brandywine Zoo. It's easy to take the first step, and when you start walking, you'll be amazed at how much fun it is. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. for the 1:30 p.m. walk starting at Brandywine Park and North Park Drive, across from Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington. The grand prizetwo round trip airline tickets to any USAirways destination in the continental United Stateswill be awarded to the walker turning in the most pledges by September 26. All walkers collecting $100 or more in pledges will receive an AIDS Walk T-shirt, and walkers who collect more than $250 will receive an AIDS Walk sweatshirt. Plus, every $100 collected earns a chance to win other great prizes in the post-Walk raffle. The Delaware AIDS Walk benefits people with HIV/AIDS in Delaware, and helps fund the HIV/AIDS programs and services provided by AIDS Delaware. It's not too late to get your team together. Why not call the AIDS Walk Office at 302-652-6776 and register your team today. SCAC Seeks Candidates For Board of Directors The Board of Directors of the Sussex County AIDS Committee (SCAC) will hold its annual elections on Monday, October 11, 1999. During the month of September, SCAC is seeking candidates who, if elected, would serve on the Board for a one-year to a possible three-year term. "Serving on the Board is a great way for community persons to get more involved in SCAC's work," explains SCAC Executive Director Glen C. Pruitt. "The Board of Directors determines SCAC's long-term goals, as well as providing accountability for the SCAC staff." The SCAC Board of Directors meets six times a year, on the second Monday evening of February, April, June, August, October and December. At each meeting, the Board reviews financial and program reports, and then conducts any business before it. "SCAC has had a strong, vital Board of Directors for several years," says Jackie Ignacio, Chair of the Board's Nominating Committee. "Its strength comes from the diversity of its members: persons from many different segments of our community." The Board wishes to continue that diversity, and welcomes candidates who are women, members of the African-American or Hispanic communities, or persons living with HIV infection. The Sussex County AIDS Committee is a private, non-profit organization that provides support services to residents of Sussex County with HIV infection or AIDS. In addition, SCAC provides educational programs and offers free, anonymous HIV testing at its office in Rehoboth Beach. For more information about the Sussex County AIDS Committee or to learn more about the Board of Directors elections, please contact Glen Pruitt or Jackie Ignacio at 302-644-1090. HRC Ads Feature Mother of Matthew Shepard The Human Rights Campaign will unveil two new public service television spots aimed at curbing anti-gay violence and promoting a greater understanding of gay issues. The 30-second spots will feature Judy Shepard, the mother of slain Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard. In the spots, Ms. Shepard speaks about the love she and others felt for her son, and urges viewers to "choose to understand." In the first spot, entitled Parenthood, Shepard says, "In a perfect world, just because your child is gay, you wouldn't have to worry about their safety. You'd just worry about their being happy." The ads, produced along with the Matthew Shepard Foundation, will be distributed to every network affiliate and cable operator in the United States that uses public service announcements. The spots will begin arriving at the stations the week of September 20, and should begin airing in early October on the television stations that choose to run the campaign. "Judy Shepard's message of unconditional love and support for her son is something that the entire country should hear," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign. "Her strength and courage in the face of unimaginable personal tragedy serve as an inspiration to us all. She has emerged as a powerful voice for fairness in this country." According to HRC's David Smith, "The theme, Choose to Understand, was designed to inspire genuine reflection about what motivates animus toward gay people and suggest that it is time to dismantle it. It is our sincere hope that this campaign will encourage greater understanding and healing." Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, was savagely attacked and tied to a wooden fence, where he was left to die in below-zero temperatures. Law enforcement officials have said that the two men who were subsequently arrested and charged with Matthew's murder have acknowledged that they targeted the 5'2" student for attack because they knew he was gay. A team of advertising professionals, assembled by advertising executive Josh Kilmer-Purcell of New York, produced the spots. The team includes award-winning directors Chris Reiss and Amy Hill, who most recently directed a public service announcement for the Academy of Dermatology highlighting the dangers of skin cancer. Other team members included Laura Fegley, who, along with Purcell, served as the projects creative director. Dominic Ferro and Kelley Fagan served as co-executive producers. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay political organization. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 13, Sept. 17, 1999 |