Inspi(red)

Regular readers of St8 Up With A Twist know that for the past several months I have volunteered some time to work with World AIDS Day Houston. Realtor Alan invited me to a meeting and the timing of it was appropriate.

Last December when I was iJacked I decided that I would replace the iPod nano with a red iPod nano. I figured Apple could give a few dollars to Product Red. And of course I had to have a (RED) t-shirt from The Gap. Should I get TI(RED), BO(RED), ADMI(RED)? I purchased DA(RED).

And while I felt good that I was a part of a campaign that is endorsed by Oprah and is co-managed by Bono and that the money was going to fight AIDS in Africa I began to wonder what is being done locally? It was pointed out to me by someone that Oprah sees the world as one community. Good point. I still wanted to feel like I was making a difference on the local scene.

And yes, Legacy is a part of the fight against HIV/AIDS so I know I'm making a difference there. However, something was still missing and that is where World AIDS Day Houston filled the void.

A group of people came together to put the red ribbon back on the map in Houston. We have identified over 25 events that will be occuring this weekend. World AIDS Day is actually Dec. 1 and because it falls on a Saturday this year, it gives organizations and agencies the opportunity to schedule events over a three day period. The events are located under the EVENTS tab on
www.worldaidsdayhouston.org.

There is a performance on Saturday that I am going to attend. The Illumination Project will be presented at The Hobby Center at 800p. (The arts have probably been the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS.) Several performance groups in Houston have stated that they will do a moment of silence before the beginning of their performances and will distribute information about HIV/AIDS.

I hope that you will consider joining us on Saturday evening. If you can't, please consider attending one of the other events. At a minimum, take a moment wear a red ribbon on Saturday and/or take a moment to remember those who have passed away and those who fight HIV/AIDS everyday.

And as a reminder...HIV/AIDS isn't just a gay thing. The face of HIV/AIDS has changed over the years. As an example, 1 in 20 people in the District of Columbia has tested positive for the virus.

Also, take a look around town starting today. AIDS Foundation/Houston worked with Clear Channel to get 40 billboards for us.

Montrose Blvd @ Fairview (facing south)

And BTW, following The Illumination Project, we will be going to Meteor for a cocktail or two. Hope you can join us.

If you need more information, please contact me at:

absolutrunnr77007@yahoo.com