Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Support CAP for the Holidays!

Wanna support Cascade AIDS Project this holiday season? Here are some great ways you can!

Willamette Week's Holiday Give Guide
As usual, Willamette Week has released its Give Guide, a great way for you to support local organizations. You can give in the name of another person or in your own name. Donors who give more than $50 get some pretty swanky prizes, along with the knowledge that they are helping our community do good work for those that need it most! Read more about the non-profits in the Give Guide here and go here to donate.

Wrap Up at Red Star
Through December 26th, bring your presents to Red Star Tavern any Saturday or Sunday from 12-3 pm, and CAP's lovely staff and volunteers will wrap them for you! For a $5 donation, you can get your gifts wrapped and support the work we do. Enjoy some food or a drink in the warmth of Red Star, while we take care of the hassle of wrapping. The flier is here.

Styx Guitar Auction
Know someone who loves guitars? We are auctioning off a Squier Fender electric guitar autographed by all six members of the band Styx! The guitar comes with a certificate of authenticity and a promotional poster for the Styx+REO Speedwagon performance at the Memorial Coliseum on March 30th, 2002. The eBay auction is here--there are only 32 hours left, so hurry!

Legendary Ladies of Country
The Fox & Hounds' 3rd Anniversary Show & Country Dinner is sure to be a hit, with cocktails & dinner at 6 pm. There will be Country Dinner specials, drink specials, and raffle prize giveaways. The show starts at 7 pm. Attendees are asked to bring a can or two of non-perishable food to donate to Esther's Pantry, and proceeds from the night benefit Cascade AIDS Project, House of Dreams and Family Dogs New Life Shelter. The flier is here.

Scandals Giving Tree and LAVISH
December 9th at 9 pm and December 16th at 7 pm, come on down to Scandals for The Giving Tree, hosted by the gorgeous Miss Mylar! Buy a ticket for $2 to pull an ornament from the tree or buy 6 tickets for $5 for to pull 6 ornaments from the tree. Each ornament will have the words 'grab bag' or the name of a sponsor on it, and you win the corresponding prize!
Join us on New Year's Eve (December 31st) for LAVISH! Doors open at 7 pm, and the party will go until 2 in the morning. It's $10 for general admission or $50 for the VIP treatment, with a hosted bar and hors d'oeuvres. There will also be an auction, and ticket sales support CAP!
Both of these fantabulous events are benefits for Camp Starlight and CAP's Youth and Family Services—thanks, Scandals!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Unfortunate Trend: Decline in Media Coverage of HIV-AIDS

On December 3rd, Businessweek ran the following story: Dramatic Decline Seen in AIDS News Coverage

According to the study that prompted the article, "Media coverage of HIV/AIDS fell more than 70 percent in developed countries over the last two decades, [most notably] in American and French newspapers[...]" the article goes on to note that "[while] media coverage of HIV/AIDS has decreased in some nations, coverage has remained at a high level or increased in areas hardest hit by the AIDS pandemic, such as South Africa."

As is the case with many of the important issues facing us today, this disease is a daily reality for millions around the world, yet it is being largely ignored by those who could do the most good. In 2009, it was estimated that as many as 35 million people world-wide were infected with HIV/AIDS.

This is not something that will go away if we ignore. 1 in 5 people infected with HIV is unaware of their status. Every 9.5 minutes, another person in the United States is infected with the virus. We need to stand together to keep each other safe and healthy.

President Obama recently released a national strategy to combat HIV/AIDS in our communities. The Oregon legislature recently mandated that human sexuality education in schools must be medically accurate, age appropriate and comprehensive, teaching youth how to be safe if they are sexually active. We are taking steps to stop the spread of the virus, but we have more to take. One of those is to remember that this is not an issue we can let fall by the wayside. Awareness is necessary to end the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, to increase access to medical care for all those infected or at-risk of infection, and to prevent the spread of the virus. Perhaps someday we will even find a cure--but not if we stop looking.

"The vast majority of HIV/AIDS research occurs in the developed nations, so the apparent lack of interest in those countries may harm efforts to find ways to fight the spreading AIDS pandemic in developing nations, the researchers said."
 We all need to be leaders in this. Many people look at the lack of reporting and take it to mean that instances of infection are declining; they aren't. They should be, and we can ensure that they do by educating ourselves and each other on the facts, practicing safe sex and getting tested.