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Community Corner

Global Campfire for World AIDS Day

In honor of World AIDS Day on December 1st, a local non-profit organization, Global Camps Africa (GCA), will host an event in Reston.


Through high-impact camp experiences and follow-up programs, GCA provides HIV education and life skills to HIV-affected children in South Africa. Using the power of camp as its vehicle, GCA delivers these services to the under-served and at-risk population of orphans and vulnerable children from some of the neighborhoods hardest hit by the HIV epidemic in South Africa.


 

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In keeping with the camp tradition, the World AIDS Day event, called Global Campfire 2012, will feature music, marshmallow roasting, and camp games. 


The campfire will take place at the Reston Association Fire Ring at Walker Nature Education Center from 4:00 until 6:00 PM and will be open to the public.  Those interested in attending should bring their own chairs, blankets, and flashlights.  Global Camps Africa will have a photographer on site and will be posting pictures from the event on their website so that so that people all over the world can share in this special experience to honor World AIDS Day.

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“The purpose of Global Campfire is to bring people together to remember those we have lost in the AIDS epidemic, but also to celebrate the many lives that have been saved through the wonderful prevention, care, and treatment programs around the world,” said Emily Crowder, Global Camps Africa’s Executive Director.


 


The theme for World AIDS Day 2012 is “Getting to Zero,” which refers to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) strategy to reduce the number of new HIV infections to zero by 2015.  Global Camps Africa’s efforts to reach HIV-affected youth in South Africa with messages about prevention and empowerment are one important component of that strategy.


 


Phil Lilienthal, Founder and President of GCA, described the goal of the Global Campfire event, saying, “We want our campfire to bring the community closer to experience the strength of what a group can bring to a problem:  even one as immense as HIV/AIDS.”


 


For further information, please contact Jessica Johnson (jessica.johnson@globalcampsafrica.org).


Global Camps Africa changes the lives of South Africa’s vulnerable children and youth by providing HIV/AIDS prevention education and training through high-impact residential camp and day camp experiences and continuing education. Thousands of vulnerable South African children participate in camp and Kids Clubs activities each year through generous contributions from donors from around the globe. Learn more about Global Camps Africa at www.GlobalCampsAfrica.org

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