From a press release…

RAIN Announces Events to Commemorate World AIDS Day
Reading of Names at Trade and Tryon on Tuesday, December 1 – Noon

Charlotte, NC – RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) will commemorate World AIDS Day 2009 by reading the names of individuals that have died of AIDS in the Charlotte region on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 beginning at 12:00 pm. The event will occur in Polk Park at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets in uptown Charlotte. The public is invited to attend and participate by remembering persons they have known that died of this disease. RAIN will be joined by other local ASOs (AIDS Service Organizations) such as House of Mercy and Rosedale ID Clinic that day.

• Mecklenburg County has the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in North Carolina.
• 47% of people living with HIV/AIDS in Mecklenburg County are not in medical care. This is one of the highest unmet rates in the United States.
• There are 6,700 HIV positive cases in Mecklenburg County and only half are in care. RAIN estimates that 25% more are unreported or untested.
• In the last two weeks, 150 new people have called to request services of RAIN.
  HIV/AIDS is still a public health crisis in some areas of our community.*

(*Statistics from the Mecklenburg County Health Department, Epidemiology Program, February 2007)

RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) engages the community to transform lives and promote respect and dignity for all people touched by the AIDS crisis through compassionate care, education and leadership development. Since 1992, RAIN staff and volunteers have provided over 150,000 hours of service to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, trained over 3,000 volunteers, and served 700 individuals with HIV/AIDS.

For more information about RAIN, please call 704-372-RAIN (7246) or go to www.carolinarain.org.