Indiana: AIDS Remains Deadly Threat; Task Force to Raise Awareness With 25th Anniversary Events

From October through May, AIDS Task Force will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a series of events designed to remind people that HIV/AIDS is a serious disease that continues to take lives. "Many people think AIDS is no longer a problem," said ATF Executive Director Gregory Manifold during a press conference. "But the struggle with AIDS is not over."

The series starts the first weekend of October, with the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre presenting "Quilt -- A Musical Celebration." Also that weekend, Artlink will open its "Mini AIDS Quilt" exhibit. The series culminates May 1 with the 14th annual AIDS Walk, stepping off in Headwaters Park.

ATF is the oldest AIDS service organization in Indiana, serving around 400 clients in the northeast portion of the state, said Manifold. The group provides housing assistance, medical visits and medicines, a food pantry and nutritional support, and counseling and transportation. In addition, it offers educational programming to as many as 10,000 residents annually.

Of Allen County's HIV/AIDS cases, ATF estimates 82 percent are male, 18 percent female, 57 percent are white, 32 percent black, 6 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Asian.

For more information about ATF's anniversary events, visit www.aidsfortwayne.org.

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