The AIDS Memorial Quilt's Call to Strive for "The Last One" Reverberates Across the Nation's Capital, July 21-25

ATLANTA, July 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As the global scientific and medical community convene in Washington, D.C., for the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012), the world's most visible symbol of the public's response to the AIDS epidemic – The AIDS Memorial Quilt – will be a powerful presence across the nation's capital as it marks its 25^th anniversary, starting with the opening ceremony of Quilt In the Capital (QIC) where a single panel will be revealed publicly for the first time on Saturday, July 21. The panel is called The Last One.

The NAMES Project Foundation, caretakers of The Quilt, decided to display the panel publicly at this pivotal time to help galvanize the world community in the drive to reach the end of AIDS. The origin of The Last One is simple, but significant. In 1988, a lone panel was delivered quietly to the NAMES Project. Unlike any other panel among the tens of thousands of panels made then, it arrived with nothing more than a handwritten note that read: I hope this quilt will find a permanent place and help mark the end of this devastating disease. The panel itself was stark in design, simply saying "The Last One." Today, 25 years after the first panel was made, the panel has yet to be sewn into The Quilt.

"There is renewed hope that the end of AIDS is possible as science has begun to articulate a new narrative," said Julie Rhoad, president and CEO of The NAMES Project. "We are sharing The Last One with the public now because we can dare to hope again and it's critical that we all realize how each one of us has an important role on the road to the end of AIDS and 'the last one' – the last person to face stigma and discrimination for living with HIV, the last new infection, the last mother-to-infant transmission, the last child left orphaned, the last death from AIDS."

Each morning of QIC will begin a morning ceremony, followed by the traditional reading of names of those lost to AIDS and the unfolding of The Quilt on the Mall, where 35,200 panels will be unfolded over four days – about 8,800 panels per day.

The following are QIC highlights:

• Saturday, 7/21: QIC opening ceremony at 9 a.m. with introduction of The Last One panel to the public; special guests from UNAIDS and Levi Strauss & Co., and participation by Advocates for Youth to demonstrate the key role that tomorrow's leaders play today. Additionally, riders from the Kiehl's Ride for Life for AmfAR arrive on the Mall at 1 p.m., to dedicate panels; and there is an Interfaith Service at the National Cathedral at 7 p.m. (passes at http://www.nationalcathedral.org/events/Quilt20120721.shtml)
• Sunday, 7/22: 9 a.m. ceremony with display of the panel block blessed by Desmond Tutu at St. George's Cathedral in South Africa before its pilgrimage to Washington; special guests and Quilt unfolding with volunteers from the ONE campaign, NAPWA and others.
• Monday, 7/23: 9 a.m. ceremony with dedication of panels made by sponsor Bristol Myers Squibb and Quilt unfolding by their volunteers.
• Tuesday, 7/24: 9 a.m. ceremony to dedicate panels made through NAMES Project's Call My Name program to reach the African American community, featuring Sheryl Lee Ralph and sponsored by Merck; 4 p.m. book signing by John Montadon, author of award-winning In His Own Blood at Quilt 2012 store (1030 17^th St, N.W.); "Return to Lisner: A forum on the state of HIV/AIDS" community forum (register at http://www.whitman-walker.org/returntolisner).
• Wednesday, 7/25: 9 a.m. closing ceremony solely with The Last One panel on the Mall.
• Saturday to Wednesday, 7/21-25: For the first time in The Quilt's history, panels have been curated to be on display throughout the Washington metropolitan area. About 4,800 panels will be available for the public to see in 50+ host venues (see full listing and map at http://quilt2012.org/map-of-events/).
• Sunday to Saturday, 7/22-28: Fundraiser "Honoring The Quilt" special menu featured at RIS restaurant with 15% of proceeds donated to The Quilt / The NAMES Project (http://risdc.com/).

On the Mall from July 21 to 24, in addition to ceremonies, reading of names and display of a vast majority of The Quilt's panels, The NAMES Project will also feature a variety of activities that the public can engage in actively, including:

• Quilting Bee: Where people can sew panels to be dedicated and added to The Quilt while it is in Washington.
• Share Your Stories: QIC partner POZ, an award-winning print and online brand for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, will conduct live interviews and stream them on http://www.poz.com/.
• AIDS Quilt 2012 Interactive Digital Exhibits: Interactive touchscreen history of HIV/AIDS and The Quilt (http://bit.ly/chronozoomaidsquilthistory), Web-based mobile app enabling users globally to find panels during QIC and share thoughts (http://www.aidsquilttouch.org/), and a chronozoom that enables people to see the entire Quilt – no longer possible on the Mall due to its sheer size – digitally (http://bit.ly/msraidsquiltzoom) (more information at http://bit.ly/msrquiltproject)

For updates on QIC, go to www.Quilt2012.org.

About The AIDS Memorial Quilt

The Quilt began with a single 3' x 6' foot panel created in San Francisco in 1987. Today, measuring 1.3 million square feet and 54 tons, The Quilt is the largest piece of living community art in the world. Its personally handmade panels come from every state in the nation, from every corner of the globe. Sections are continuously on display across the country in schools, churches, community centers, businesses, corporations and a variety of other institutional settings, all with the purpose of making the realities of HIV and AIDS real, human and immediate. To date, more than 15 million people have seen The Quilt at tens of thousands of displays throughout the world.

Donations

Care and upkeep of The Quilt, deemed an American Treasure by Congress, relies on the generosity of donations. To donate, please go to www.AIDSquilt.org.

Established in 1987, The NAMES Project Foundation, Inc., is the international, non-governmental, 501(c)(3) organization that is the custodian of The AIDS Memorial Quilt and its associated document and media archive. The mission of The NAMES Project Foundation is to preserve, care for and use The AIDS Memorial Quilt to foster healing, advance social justice and inspire action in the age of AIDS and beyond.

SOURCE The NAMES Project Foundation