FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Spencer Casseus | 347-505-5181 scasseus@bac-ny.org
BRIDGING ACCESS TO CARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GILEAD TO HOST ‘IN THE RED: WORLD AIDS BROOKLYN YOUTH RALLY’ TO COMMEMORATE WORLD AIDS DAY WITH OVER 300 STUDENTS AT STAR EARLY COLLEGE ERASMUS HALL HIGH SCHOOL IN FLATBUSH – FRIDAY, DEC. 1ST, 11:00AM – 2:30PM AT ERASMUS HALL
(Brooklyn, New York) – On Friday, December 1st, 2017 Bridging Access to Care (BAC) along with local community partners will gather over 300 Brooklyn students and teachers with support from local elected officials will gather at the Science, Technology and Research High School (S.T.A.R.) at Erasmus Hall High School for the first-ever World AIDS Day Brooklyn Youth Rally titled ‘IN THE RED’ to commemorate World AIDS Day and bring awareness about and tacking the issue of HIV and AIDS among young people in Brooklyn. The event will take place from 11:00am – 2:30pm in the school gymnasium. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people around the world, especially in Brooklyn, to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. This year’s is taking place under the theme “Increasing Impact through Transparency, Accountability, and Partnerships.”
Nationally, about one in four new HIV infections are among youth, ages 13 to 24. About 60% of all youth, with HIV do not know they are infected, are not getting treated, and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others. Almost 80% of all adolescent infections are among males in the U.S. 9 out of 10 adolescent male HIV infections result from male-to-male sexual contact. The same proportion of adolescent females is infected from heterosexual contact.
In light with that, Bridging Access to Care has partnered with Erasmus High School, Gilead Sciences and local community partners such as MetroPlus Health Plan, The Brooklyn Hospital Path Center, Haitian-American Community Coalition (HCC), FITBK, LifeBeat, Brightpoint Health, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, West Indian American Day Carnival Association, Office of New York Senator Jesse Hamilton, Office of City Councilmember Jumaane D. Williams, Office of City Councilmember Mathieu Eugene and New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte to play an active role in bringing awareness and education to help reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among youth especially those infected due to lack of knowledge about the pandemic.
During the Brooklyn Youth Rally, students will have an opportunity to engage in an interactive educational experience and explore the various resources available to them through our partner exhibition including a #WORLDAIDSDAYBKLYN Photobooth sponsored by MetroPlus Health Plan, live Deejay, STD Wheel of Knowledge, raffle prizes, Zumba Fitness demonstrations by FITBK, and the Erasmus Hall Dutchettes Cheerleading Team. The BAC Mobile Unit will offer rapid HIV testing and STD screenings throughout the day to the general community.
For more information on the World AIDS Day Brooklyn Youth Rally, please contact Spencer Casseus at 347-505-5181 or email scasseus@bac-ny.org
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