Title
To honor and recognize the 20th Anniversary of the Dr. Robert J. Fass Memorial AIDS Walk on October 8, 2011.
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WHEREAS, October 3rd through October 8th, 2011 is AIDS Awareness Week in Central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, this is the 20th anniversary of AIDSWalk, which was renamed in 2002 to honor the late Dr. Robert J. Fass, held in Columbus to raise funds and awareness, just 30 years since the discovery of HIV/AIDS; and
WHEREAS, in the summer of 1991 where less than 100 people gathered in a shelter at Schiller Park, the walk has now grown to almost a thousand participants; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Susan Koletar and Dr. Michael Para, Infectious Disease specialists at The Ohio State University; and honorary co-chairs of the walk, have spent their careers researching and treating HIV/AIDS; and
WHEREAS, the walk has been staffed and organized by the AIDS Resource Center of Ohio, formerly known as Columbus AIDS Task Force, for the past 3 years; and
WHEREAS, there is one new HIV infection in the U.S. every 9 ½ minutes, and more infections occur among young people under the age of 30 than any other group; and
WHEREAS, one-fifth of all persons living with HIV in the U.S. are unaware of their status, these individuals, unknowingly, account for more than half of all HIV transmission/new infections; and
WHEREAS, Franklin County has had the highest number of new infections of HIV in the state of Ohio for the past 6 years; and
WHEREAS, this year's walk benefits the following Central Ohio organizations: Camp Sunrise, Delaware County AIDS Task Force, Project Love, Columbus AIDS Task Force/AIDS Resource Center Ohio, FACES Program of Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio AIDS Coalition, Union County AIDS Task Force, and the Columbus Urban League; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby honor and recognize the 20th Anniversary of the Dr. Robert J. Fass Memorial AIDSWalk and wish it continued success.