May 20

About 20 leading AIDS organizations are sponsoring a march and rally in Washington D.C. on Thursday, May 20, 2004 -- telling presidential candidates Bush and Kerry that time is up, as every 11 seconds someone dies of AIDS. The march will stop at the Democratic and Republican National Headquarters, and will end on the steps of the Capitol. Sponsors include Housing Works, the National Association of People With AIDS, Project Inform, AIDS Survival Project, ACT UP Philadelphia, ACT UP New York, Health GAP, and AIDS Treatment Activist Coalition [ATAC].

AIDS is now the leading single cause of death for people worldwide from age 15 to 59. Of six million people in poor countries who need antiretroviral treatment now, only 400,000 are receiving it. For recent information on the epidemic, see:  http://www.who.int/

The rally will begin at 11 a.m. at Folger Park (3rd and D streets SE, near Capitol South Metro) and move to the headquarters of the political parties, then to the Capitol steps.

For more information on the march and rally contact Michael Kink at Housing Works, kink@housingworks.org or 518-449-4207.

In addition, the rally will include a nonviolent civil disobedience action. For more information on the civil disobedience, contact Paul Davis, pdavis@healthgap.org or 215-833-4102.

Donations Needed

This march urgently needs money to rent more buses to bring people who want to come. AIDS Treatment News asked Michael Kink how readers could help:

"Email Ryan Clary, rclary@projectinform.org and let him know if you are able to sponsor a bus at $1,200 or whatever contribution you are able to make.

"Housing Works will serve as a fiscal conduit for donations, which will be processed by their management services organization. They will accept checks, cash, money orders or credit cards -- but will not accept pledges. Checks and money orders should be made out to Housing Works, Inc., with a note indicating "May 20 Fund" and mailed to 320 W. 13th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10014. Credit card donations can be accepted directly on the Housing Works site: http://www.housingworks.org

 

Please send a confirmation email to  kink@housingworks.org noting that your contribution is for the May 20 Fund."