Historic Global Vigil for Aids Orphans Ends in New York City

New York joins 17 cities around the world speaking out for children affected

by AIDS New research study: Surprisingly high percentage admit knowing little about

pandemic

WHAT: AIDS activists, musicians, students and families gather to mark

the end of the 24-hour global AIDS vigil and remember the

thousands of children orphaned by the pandemic.

WHEN: Friday, November 30 from 7-9 a.m.

WHERE: Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, 7 West 55th Street (between

5th - 6th Avenues)

WHO: Participants at the vigil include:

-- The Brooklyn Youth Chorus and Christian artists Shane & Shane

-- Bwalya Melu, program specialist for World Vision, who has lost

three siblings and their wives to AIDS in Zambia

-- Children, families, and college students to read the names of

AIDS orphans

WHY: Every day, an estimated 6,000 children lose a parent to AIDS. To

raise awareness about the plight of these children, World Vision

is hosting the first-ever global AIDS vigil. In a new global

research study, to be released on November 29, a surprisingly high

percentage of people surveyed admitted knowing little or nothing

about the pandemic-making awareness building an even higher

priority for combating global AIDS.

The vigil will begin in Toronto, Canada at 9 a.m. EST on Thursday,

November 29 and continue westward in 17 cities around the world,

concluding in New York City at 9 a.m. EST on Friday, November 30.

During each event, participants will read the names of some 350

children who have lost a parent to AIDS or related illnesses. As

the event moves around the globe, the cumulative number of names

read will grow until, at the final event in New York City, the

last of 6,000 names will be read, symbolizing the number of

children who will have lost a parent to AIDS and related illnesses

that day.

NOTE: B-roll and photographs illustrating the international AIDS crisis

and footage from vigil events in Chicago, San Salvador, Delhi,

Nairobi and other cities will be available.

After the vigil, participants will be building 300 AIDS caregiver

kits to send to caregivers in Africa. An assembly line will be

set up at the church for volunteers to put together these orange

plastic kits with essential supplies like cotton balls,

antibacterial soap and gloves. World Vision partners with

community leaders to train and equip caregivers who visit AIDS

patients by sending them kits like these.

For more information on World Vision's Global AIDS Attitudes

research study, contact Gardi Wilks at 708-366-8389 or Rachel

Wolff at 253-394-2214, or visit www.worldvision.org/press.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to workingwith children, families, and their communities worldwide reach their fullpotential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

CONTACT:

Laura Cusumano Blank

(cell) 646-245-2496, lblank@worldvision.org

Amy Parodi

(cell) 253-709-3190, aparodi@worldvision.orgSOURCE World Vision