Monday is World AIDS Day, and the Ozarks community is doing its part to raise awareness of the disease here at home by hosting a candlelight vigil. KSMU’s Jennifer Moore reports.
The candlelight vigil will take place in Park Central Square in downtown Springfield Monday evening.
Organizers says the vigil will begin at 5:30 and will last an hour. Marlin Martin is the director of outreach at the Aids Project of the Ozarks.
Martin says one main reason behind World Aids Day is to educate the public on the facts behind the disease, and to encourage everyone to get tested for the virus.
He says there are 750 known cases of HIV in the 29-county area the The Aids Project of the Ozarks serves. 282 of those cases are new, from this year. Martin added that the APO offers free HIV testing at its office, located at 1900 East Bennet Street, in Springfield.
Tonight’s candlelight vigil commemorating World Aids Day at Park Central Square is free and open to the public.
For KSMU News, I’m Jennifer Moore.
