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Aug. 5th Open House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrates the Opening of the AHF Healthcare Center & AHF Pharmacy in Coordination with Gay Games 9
[August 01, 2014]

Aug. 5th Open House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrates the Opening of the AHF Healthcare Center & AHF Pharmacy in Coordination with Gay Games 9


CLEVELAND --(Business Wire)--

AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland (ATGC) and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) leadership together along with other officials and dignitaries will preside over a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to celebrate the opening of the AHF Healthcare Center & AHF Pharmacy in Cleveland on the campus of the Taskforce on Tuesday, August 5th. This event is being done in coordination with the upcoming Gay Games 9 (GG9); AHF is a major sponsor of GG9. At the Open House there will be an opportunity to preview artwork that will be displayed throughout the GG9 Rainbow Run, the first athletic event of GG9 taking place on Saturday August 9th. The GG9 Rainbow Run will be stepping off from the Rock Hall at 8:30 am.





 

What:

Open House & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the opening of ATGC's new all-in-one AIDS facility in Cleveland that will House an AHF Healthcare Center, AHF Pharmacy, HIV testing and prevention services, food pantry, research division, advocacy action center, and will also serve as the headquarters for the Taskforce.

 

When:

Tuesday, August 5th 2014, 2:00 pm -- ribbon cutting and formal speaking program at 2:00 pm

 

Where:

AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland's new all-in-one facility

2829 Euclid Avenue (Cross street: E 30th), Cleveland, OH 44115 Tel: (216) 357-3131
 

Who:

Tracy Jones, Chief Executive Officer, AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland

Adam Ouderkirk, Senior Director of Program and Business Development

As well as other Ohio State Legislators, Cleveland City Council members and Cuyahoga County Council members will be in attendance.
 

B-Roll:

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be taking place at 2:00 pm to symbolize the grand opening of the AHF Healthcare Center & AHF Pharmacy. And a preview of GG9 Rainbow Run artwork will be on display

 

CONTACTS: OHIO:

Garith Fulham, Director, Public Policy & Advocacy, AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland, +1.216.357.3131 x249 (office) / +1.216.245.2724 (mobile) [email protected]

 

HIV/AIDS in Ohio

According to a report from Harvard Law School's Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, approximately 10,000 Ohioans are currently living with HIV, and another 8,600 individuals are living with AIDS. However, these numbers only account for people who are aware of their HIV/AIDS status, and national estimates project 20% of people living with HIV/AIDS have not been tested and are unaware of their status. According to an HIV/AIDS Surveillance Program conducted by the Ohio Department of Health, men were consistently diagnosed at a far higher rate than women between 2007 and 2011 (about 78% men to 22% women).

Consistent with national statistics, HIV/AIDS incidence was highest in Ohio's African American population, which accounted for over 5% of new diagnoses for each of the five years tracked in the Department of Health report. Rates in the African American community have been slowly but consistently rising since 2007. Also on the rise are rates among youth aged 13-14, particularly among 20-24 year olds, who went from accounting for 1% of new diagnoses in 2007 to 4% in 2011, Though the highest incidence by age was among people aged 45-64, those age groups showed a slow but steady decline in new diagnoses over the years studied, a trend that can only be mirrored in the younger demographics through an increase in prevention education.

About AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland

The AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland (ATGC) is a community-focused nonprofit HIV/AIDS Service Organization (ASO) that offers a comprehensive continuum of non-medical HIV/AIDS services in Cuyahoga and five surrounding communities. As Greater Cleveland's oldest and leading ASO, the Taskforce provides vital "safety net" support services and prevention education for those at greatest risk. It also leads public policy initiatives, ensuring equal rights and opportunities for people living with and disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and their families are directly served by Taskforce support services, and many thousand more are served through prevention and advocacy initiatives. The Taskforce's mission is "To provide a compassionate and collaborative response to the needs of people infected with, affected by, and at risk of HIV/AIDS. This is accomplished through leadership in prevention, supportive services, and advocacy." Donations and volunteers are always needed and appreciated. www.aidstaskforce.org.

About AHF

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider in the USA. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more then 317,000 individuals in 34 countries worldwide in the USA, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org find us on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) & Instagram: @AIDSHealthcare

About the Gay Games

The Gay Games is an international sporting and cultural event held every four years under the founding principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™. Launched in 1982, the Games invite participation from everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political beliefs, athletic or artistic ability, age, physical challenge or health status.

The Games are intended to bring a global community together in friendship, to experience participation, to elevate consciousness and self-esteem, and to achieve a form of cultural and intellectual synergy. The Gay Games is open to anyone 18 years or older. About 10 percent of participants are from outside the LGBT community.

The 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation will be August 9-16, 2014, in venues around Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, in the United States. More than 35 sports and culture events will be held, with 20,000 to 30,000 participants and visitors from more than 40 countries expected to attend.

For more information, connect with the 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation:
2014GayGames.com | @GG9Cleveland | Facebook.com/GayGamesCleveland


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