Thousands with HIV/AIDS to Ride in Caravans to DC for Protest and Prayer Nov. 5-8; Organizers to Assist People with HIV Displaced by Katrina

NEW YORK, Oct. 4 -- Thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS are preparing to travel across the U.S. in ten activist caravans this October, stopping in more than 150 cities across the country to tell local and national leaders: “We have the tools to stop AIDS. Now it’s up to you to make those tools available worldwide.” The caravans will converge in Washington, D.C., from Nov. 5 to 8 for four days of prayer, lawmaker visits, protests and a March to End AIDS.

The caravans are part of The Campaign to End AIDS ( C2EA; http://www.CampaigntoEndAIDS.org ), a new, national coalition endorsed by more than 400 organizations. C2EA brings together longtime HIV-positive people and veterans of the AIDS activist group ACT UP with more recently diagnosed Americans -- many of them women, African Americans, southerners and churchgoers. Together, they’re demanding that governments fund AIDS treatment worldwide, promote science-based HIV prevention and protect the rights of people with HIV/AIDS.

“It’s 2005. We have the drugs to treat HIV, and good science shows that condoms and clean needles for injection-drug users can prevent it,” says C2EA co-chair Charles King, an HIV-positive ordained Baptist minister and CEO of Housing Works, the nation’s largest community-based AIDS agency. “But these tools are being withheld due to spending cuts, treaties blocking generic drugs and federally funded programs teaching abstinence-only. Our leaders are taking us backward as HIV rates increase. They must change course.”

A massive March to End AIDS on Saturday, Nov. 5, will kick off C2EA’s presence in D.C. The march will start near the White House and culminate with a rally in the Anacostia section of the capital, which is hard-hit by AIDS. Sunday Nov. 6, Rev. Ronald Braxton will host an interfaith service focusing on AIDS at the Metropolitan AME Church. Monday, Nov. 7, C2EA participants will stage nonviolent demonstrations throughout the city. Tuesday, Nov. 8, they will make visits to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

C2EA planned to launch its caravans in September, but the devastation of Hurricane Katrina forced organizers to postpone. C2EA is intent on bringing relief to the 21,000 people with HIV affected by that tragic event. Half of all dollars raised at C2EA events nationwide will go to Gulf Coast residents with HIV/AIDS. “The people hardest hit by Katrina -- poor people and African- Americans -- are also the people hardest hit by this disease,” says C2EA organizer Judith Dillard of Fort Worth, TX. “We won’t leave them behind.” C2EA’s Soul of the South caravan, which travels along the Gulf Coast, will collect relief supplies to be delivered in Baton Rouge, LA.

All caravan routes can be viewed at: http://www.CampaigntoEndAIDS.org.

Caravan departure cities are:

Portland, OR

Seattle, WA,

Oakland, CA

Los Angeles, CA

San Diego, CA

Brownsville, TX

Miami, FL

Boston, MA

New York City

Washington, D.C., will host a “symbolic caravan,” with AIDS awareness events and fundraisers taking place throughout the D.C. area. While most caravaners will travel by bus, van or car, the New York City caravan will travel to D.C. on foot, starting with a march through the Lincoln Tunnel on Oct. 15.

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Here’s When A Campaign to End AIDS Caravan is Stopping in Your City. (Editor’s Note: Dates subject to change. Please reconfirm with C2EA media before reporting dates.)

AMERICAN HERITAGE

Departs Portland, OR, and stops in Boise, ID, Oct 20; Salt Lake City, UT, Oct. 22; Laramie, WY, Oct 23; Cheyenne, WY & Casper, WY Oct 24; Rapid City, SD, Oct 25; Omaha, NE, Oct 26; Des Moines, IA & Iowa City, IA Oct 27; Aurora, Batavia & Chicago, IL Oct 28 Chicago, IL Oct 29; Gary, IN & Indianapolis, IN Oct 30; Dayton, OH & Columbus, OH Oct 31; Columbus, OH & Cincinnati, OH and Covington, KY & Lexington, KY Nov 1; Louisville, KY, Frankfort, KY and Charleston, WV Nov 2; Charleston, WV & Charlottesville, VA Nov 3; Washington, D.C. Nov 4.

ENCHANTMENT EXPRESS

Departs Los Angeles Oct 22; Inland Empire, CA & Las Vegas, NV Oct 23; Farmington, NM Oct 24; Albuquerque, NM Oct 25; Amarillo, TX Oct. 26 Oklahoma City, OK Oct 27; St. Louis, MO & Little Rock, AR Oct 28; Memphis, TN Oct 29; Nashville, TN Oct 30; Knoxville, TN Oct 31; Winston-Salem, NC Nov 1; Danville, VA Nov 2; Richmond, VA Nov 3; Washington, D.C. Nov 4.

HEART O’ THE LAND

Departs Oakland, CA & stops in Sacramento, CA Oct 20; Reno, NV Oct 21; Salt Lake City, UT Oct 22. Caravaners continue on with the American Heritage caravan (see above) after Salt Lake City. NOTE: Other C2EA events in the Midwest: Denver, CO Sept 27; Topeka, KS Sept 29; Lawrence, KS Sept 30.

THE NOR’EASTER

Departs Boston (Dorchester), MA Oct 29; Springfield, MA Oct 30; Albany, NY Oct 31; Syracuse, NY Nov 1; Binghamton, NY & State College, PA Nov 2; Harrisburg, PA Nov 3; Baltimore, MD Nov 4; Washington D.C. Nov 4. NOTE: Pre-caravan Northeast U.S. events to take place in Williamsport, PA Oct 7; St. Michael’s College, VT date TBD; Keene, NH Oct 14; Manchester, NH Oct 22.

THE NORTHERN TIER

Departs Seattle, WA & stops in Spokane, WA Oct 22; Coeur d’Alene Oct 23; Missoula, MT Oct 24; Billings, MT Oct 25; Bismarck, ND Oct 26; Fargo, ND Oct 27; Minneapolis, MN Oct 28; Madison, WI & Milwaukee, WI Oct 29; Manitowoc, WI Oct 30; Grand Rapids, MI, Lansing, MI & Flint, MI Oct 31; Ann Arbor, MI, Detroit, MI & Toledo, OH Nov 1; Cleveland, OH & Akron, OH Nov 2; Pittsburgh, PA & Morgantown, WV Nov 3; Martinsburg, WV Nov 4; Washington, D.C. Nov 4.

PAVING THE WAY (all by foot)

Departs New York City and stops in Jersey City, NJ Oct 15; Newark, NJ Oct 16; Elizabeth, NJ Oct 17; Rahway, NJ Oct 18; New Brunswick, NJ Oct 19; Princeton, NJ Oct 20; Trenton, NJ Oct 21; Bensalem, PA Oct 22; Philadelphia, PA Oct 23-24; Chester, PA Oct 25; Wilmington, DE Oct 26; North East, DE & Newark, DE Oct 27; Delaware/Maryland border Oct 28; Joppatowne, MD Oct 29; Rosedale, MD Oct 30; Baltimore, MD Oct 31-Nov 1; Jessup, MD Nov 2; College Park, MD Nov 3; Howard University, Washington, D.C. Nov 4.

SOUL OF THE SOUTH

Departs Brownsville, TX Oct 16; Harlingen, TX & Corpus Christi, TX Oct 17; Laredo,TX Oct 18; San Antonio, TX & Austin, TX Oct 19; Houston, TX Oct 20; Beaumont, LA Oct 21; Port Arthur, LA Oct 22; Lake Charles, LA Oct 23; Lafayette, LA Oct 24; Baton Rouge, LA Oct 25; Slidell, LA Oct 26; Biloxi, MS & Mobile, AL Oct 27; Pensacola, FL Oct 28; Columbus, GA Oct 29-30; Macon, GA Oct 30; Atlanta, GA Oct 31; Augusta, GA Nov 1; Columbia, SC & Fayetteville, NC Nov 2; Raleigh-Durham, NC Nov 3; Richmond, VA Nov 4; Washington, D.C., Nov 4.

TROPICAL STORM

Departs Miami, FL & stops in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Boca Raton, FL & West Palm Beach, FL Oct 31; Orlando, FL, Tampa, FL, Gainesville, FL & Jacksonville, FL Nov 1; Rocky Mountain, NC, Charleston, SC & Savannah, GA Nov 2; Virginia stop TBD Nov 3; Dover, DE & Salisbury, MD Nov 4; Washington, D.C. Nov. 4.

WAVES ACROSS THE NATION

Departs San Diego, CA & stops Phoenix, AZ Oct 25; Tucson, AZ & Las Cruces, NM Oct 26; El Paso, TX & Lubbock, TX Oct 27; Abilene, TX & Fort Worth, TX Oct 28; Dallas, TX & Shreveport, LA Oct 29; Shreveport, LA, Monroe, LA & Jackson, MS Oct 30; Hattiesburg, MS, Montgomery, AL & Birmingham, AL Oct 31; Chattanooga, TN, Asheville, NC & Charlotte, NC Nov 1; High Point, NC Nov 2; Richmond, VA Nov 3-4; Washington, D.C. Nov 4.

WASHINGTON, D.C. “SYMBOLIC CARAVAN”

Arts 2 End AIDS at the Public Welfare Building Oct 11; Screenings of A Closer Walk at George Washington University Oct 17 Georgetown University Oct 18; Metro Teen AIDS Oct 21; Washington Highlands Library Oct 22; Imagene’s Shelter Oct 25; American University Oct 27; Westminster Presbyterian Church Oct 29; Pennsylvania Ave Baptist Church Oct 30; Planned Parenthood Metro Washington Oct 31; Go-Go dance party fundraiser Oct 21; Laugh to End AIDS, location TBD Oct 30.

Contact Information

David Thorpe

Media Contact

Campaign to End AIDS

Contact via E-mail