BUSINESS WIRE - 44 Montgomery St, 39th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; Tel: (415) 986-4422; FAX: (415) 788-5335 - Thursday, 17 October 1996.
Stretching from the Washington Monument to the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building, the Quilt occupied an area equal to 24 football fields and weighed more than 50 tons. Some 2,500 new panels were added to the quilt over the three days it was shown, putting the total number of panels displayed at more than 40,000.
Over 10,000 volunteers came to Washington from around the country to make the display happen.
For the first time since it was started nine years ago, a U.S. president and vice president visited the quilt. During opening ceremonies for the display that took place on Friday, Oct. 11, Vice President and Mrs. Gore read the names of their friends who have died from AIDS.
Later that day, President and Mrs. Clinton visited the quilt display, accompanied by NAMES Project founders Cleve Jones and Mike Smith and Executive Director Anthony Turney.
"This display of the quilt succeeded in putting AIDS in voters' minds and mouths three weeks before elections -- a time when the candidates are remaining tight-lipped on the issue," said Anthony Turney, executive director of the NAMES Foundation. "We are extremely pleased that both the president and the vice president took part in this event by seeing the quilt and reading the names of the fallen.
"We hope that experiencing the quilt inspires those we elect to take bolder action to help end AIDS -- action that includes greater funding for research efforts, needle exchange programs and effective HIV prevention education campaigns, particularly those for youth and for gay and bisexual men."
In conjunction with the Washington, D.C.-based AIDS Action Council, the NAMES Project gathered 60,000 pledge cards signed by people who visited the quilt display. Addressed to both the Democratic and Republican candidates, the cards demand that our nation's next leader do his utmost to end the epidemic. The cards were delivered to President Clinton and Sen. Dole on Oct. 17.
An estimated 50,000 school-aged youth came to the quilt display, many of them on Friday, Oct. 11, "Youth Day." Some 10,000 students participated in tours of the quilt, which were offered in the Education Area of the display.
The Stadtlander's Wellness Pavilion, also located in the Education Area, was visited by nearly 40,000 people seeking information on the latest in HIV treatment information. During the display, 10,000 bottles of water were given out in the Wellness Pavilion, more than 1,000 acupuncture demonstrations were made, and 940 anemia screenings were conducted.
The Oct. 11-13 display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt was the largest display of the quilt and the largest AIDS event ever. More than 30 AIDS-focused events took place in Washington in conjunction with the quilt showing, including the 1996 National AIDS Candlelight March, LifeBeat's concert "The Beat Goes On," and the Interfaith Service of Prayer and Healing at Washington National Cathedral.
The NAMES Project currently has no plans for a future showing of the entire quilt.
Founded in 1987, the NAMES Project Foundation sponsors and displays the AIDS Memorial Quilt to help bring an end to the AIDS epidemic. Through a network of 41 national NAMES Project chapters and 34 international affiliates, the AIDS Memorial Quilt is seen by more than one million people annually at nearly 2,000 displays.
Money raised at quilt displays is granted to organizations that provide direct service to people everywhere who are living with HIV and AIDS. Visit the AIDS Memorial Quilt website at http://www.aidsquilt.org or our AOL site at keyword NAMES Project.
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CONTACT: The NAMES Project Foundation Greg Lugliani or Scott Williams, 415/882-5500
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Copyright © 1996 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.
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