Local NAMES Project Founders to Be Honored

December 1, 2012 will mark the 25th Anniversary of World AIDS Day and the 15th Anniversary of the founding of the New York Capital Region Chapter of the NAMES Project AIDS memorial quilt. These important anniversaries will be celebrated Saturday afternoon at a special event recognizing key local individuals who helped found the local chapter of the NAMES Project. Robert Curry, Senior Vice president for External Affairs at Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, will be among those recognized.

In 1987, The NAMES Project Foundation was established in San Francisco, California by a group of family and friends determined to remember the lives, and carry on the legacy of loved ones lost to AIDS. The foundation aims to heighten awareness, foster healing and inspire action in the age of AIDS. The memorial quilt is now 54 tons; with 48,000 panels of 94,000 individuals.

Curry’s first involvement with the foundation came when he volunteered to assist with the major display of the quilt in Washington D.C. Subsequently, he became a display coordinator and traveled across the nation to assist with displays in many different cities. During those years, AIDS was also spreading rapidly across Africa and Curry was responsible for arrangements to bring a section of the quilt made in Uganda to the United States for a viewing tour.

Curry was the primary founder and first Board President of both the New Jersey and Capital Region chapters of the NAMES Project and made his own personal contribution to one of the first sections of the local chapter quilt. “It was a wonderful experience to start the local quilt and bring the chapter here,” said Curry. “Helping to create a section is a very emotional experience. The work starts as a reflection of your own personal connections to those infected and affected by the disease, but quickly forces you to connect to the tremendous numbers of people who have been touched by HIV and AIDS in our state, our country and the world. Still, we remember that the quilt only represents a small percentage of that population.”

Curry sees his work with the NAMES Project as a natural and fully supported extension of his work at Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. “UHPP was a very early provider of HIV testing and counseling services, as well as HIV awareness education,” explained Curry. “The agency has worked in collaboration with a wide range of health and human service agencies to promote safer sex practices, medically accurate and comprehensive sex education starting at an early age, and non-judgmental, confidential and affordable medical services. UHPP has a strong history of work to promote and protect funding for HIV/AIDS education and services and played a key role in the establishment of the Northeast HIV Prevention Network and the Capital District Take the Test Coalition. ” This year’s Planned Parenthood World AIDS Day theme is Working Toward the Healthiest Generation and the agency has been working with local student groups on prevention education activities.

Mary Lou Hamlin, president of the board of the NY Capital Region chapter of the NAMES Project, contacted Curry with the news that he would be recognized this year for his contributions. He hopes the event will help remind people that “the epidemic is still with us and that there is both good and bad news. The good news is that people are living longer and that many who develop HIV are able to prevent a transition to full blown AIDS. The bad news is that after 25 years many people think the risk has gone away and therefore do not educate or protect themselves. Young people and women of color have joined those populations who are still seeing high rates of infection and we still haven’t discovered a cure .”

In honor of World AIDS day, a commemoration will also be held on December 4th and 5th at the Empire State Plaza sponsored by the New York State Health Department. Hundreds of panels of the AIDS memorial quilt, representing those who have lost loved ones to AIDS, will be on display. Some panel makers will be present, and many school groups will be given tours. Members of the community are welcome to visit.