YouthAIDS Brings Celebrities and Dignitaries to DC to Raise Funds and Awareness

YouthAIDS Brings Celebrities and Dignitaries to DC to Raise Funds and Awareness

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by YouthAIDS:

WHY: AIDS affects young people at a greater rate than any other group: Every 15 seconds, a young person between the ages of 15-24 becomes infected with HIV; 12 million young people aged 15 to 24 are now living with HIV/AIDS; HIV is the leading cause of death worldwide, among those ages 15-59. It costs $10 a year to educate a youth about HIV/AIDS prevention.

WHAT: To kick-off YouthAIDS month in Washington, DC, YouthAIDS, together with public and private officials, will host events in Washington on September 14th to raise awareness around the global fight against HIV/AIDS:

* September 14th - 11:00 a.m.: Global Youth Forum -- Kids Talking About AIDS Marsha Martin, Director of D.C. HIV/AIDS Administration and YouthAIDS Global Ambassador Ashley Judd will kick off CURRENTS, a series of international teen videoconferences on the subject of HIV/AIDS. Judd, along with recording artist and American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, will host the first live dialogue between Washington, DC high school students and their peers in Salvador, Brazil. Where: Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library, Howard University, 501 W Street Rm. 138

* September 14th 1:00 p.m.: Ashley Judd visits ALDO Store to Sell "Empowerment Tags" Ashley Judd and American Idol's Kimberley Locke sell "Empowerment (dog) Tags" at the ALDO store in Georgetown. ALDO and YouthAIDS have partnered to execute a global marketing campaign to educate and prevent HIV/AIDS among young adults by selling "Empowerment Tags" for $5/each. All net proceeds go to YouthAIDS. Where: ALDO/Georgetown 3237 M Street, NW

* September 14th 7:00 p.m.: YouthAIDS Annual Benefit Gala / Red Carpet Event Special red carpet honorees, guests and performers include Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Ashley Judd; Wynonna Judd, Dave Matthews; Tracy Chapman; Ted and Lynn Leonsis; Jack Valenti; Minnie Driver; Senator Mary Landrieu; and Senator Richard Lugar Where: Mandarin Oriental 1330 Maryland Avenue, SW -- Members of the media covering the event should use the ballroom level entrance located on Maine Avenue. Media check-in at 6:00 p.m.

YouthAIDS, an HIV/AIDS education and prevention initiative of Population Services International (PSI), targets young people between the ages of 15-24 with positive, upbeat messages of abstinence, delayed sexual debut and correct and consistent condom use. YouthAIDS uses media, pop culture, music, theater and sports to reach 600 million young people in more than 60 countries with life-saving messages, products, services and care. http://www.youthaids.org/

Source: YouthAIDS

CONTACT: Jennifer Stoltz, +1-202-448-3145, or jstoltz@qorvis.com, for YouthAIDS

Web site: http://www.youthaids.org/

------- Profile: Ent