Mitcham to sell red ribbons
Olympic gold medallist and Australian Sports Performer of the Year Matthew Mitcham will join other celebrities and up to 150 volunteers to sell red ribbons on the streets of Sydney on World AIDS Day this Monday, December 1.
Australia’s Next Top Model star Charlotte Dawson and singer/actor Toni Pearen will join Mitcham at Sydney’s Taylor Square at lunchtime on Monday 1 December to help out with the AIDS Council of NSW’s annual Red Ribbon Appeal.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore will also be at Taylor Square at 1pm with a large contingent of police from the Surry Hills Local Area Command including the Police band and mounted police.
At selected locations across the city, red ribbons will be on sale for $2 each, wristbands will be available for $4 each and enamel pins will be on offer for $5. Red ribbons can also be purchased from businesses displaying Red Ribbon merchandise boxes and donations can be made online at the official Red Ribbon Appeal web site: www.redribbonday.org.au
ACON president Mark Orr said having the support of Mitcham and other celebrities would help raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and the Red Ribbon Appeal.
The money we raise through the Red Ribbon Appeal is vital to the work of ACON as it helps us prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through education campaigns as well as provide the services and facilities essential to the health and wellbeing of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS across NSW, he said.
info: Mitcham, Moore, Dawson and Pearon will be on the Oxford Hotel side of Taylor Square from 1pm this Monday.
Last night I went to a wonderful concert for World Aids Day. The spirit of the show and the community support was amazing all though I would have liked to have seen more bums on seats. Everyone who provided their time deserves a huge round of applause.
Unfortunately today the reality of how the community really feels slapped me in the face.
I was visiting a sick friend at RPA. I walked through the main entrance door and passed the wonderful WAD 08 stand. It looked great. Unfortunately walking just ahead of me were two ambulance officers, they were pushing a bed with an elderly gent on it. The comments as they passed the stand absolutely floored me. One of the ambulance officers quipped “it is what they deserve for putting it in the wrong hole” followed by discussion with the patient on the trolley about “they’re just bum burglars”, it continued with school boy sniggering. I was walking right behind them and they didn’t care who heard what they were saying. I caught up to them and told them I thought that it was appalling especially on World Aids Day but they just didn’t seem to care. All this at 9.30am on the 1st of December 2008. Great day, thanks guys for making me realise that nothing really has changed.
I really did not think I would ever hear comments from our generally wonderful Ambos’ but it just proves we have such a long way to go !
I have lost a partner to this damned bug but the hypocrisy continues to alienate those affected and effected by it !
Regards
S
And thank you for being an OUT champion!
Thank you Matthew for giving so much back to the community – not only on December 1, but in other events also
Even though you probably wanted to have a rest after the Olympics, thank you for helping to curtail homophobia
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