June 7, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Red Ribbon Tag Day – Call for Volunteers
On Saturday June 25, 2011, AIDS Saskatoon volunteers will raise funds for people in our community who have been directly affected by HIV/AIDS. On our 18th annual Red Ribbon Tag Day, volunteers around Saskatoon will hand out red ribbons to passersby and collect donations for the Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF).
AIDS Saskatoon is looking for volunteers to help us in the fight against HIV/AIDS by
volunteering for a 2.5 hour shift to hand out red ribbons, the international symbol of
HIV awareness. In 2010, sixty-four volunteers helped us raise nearly four thousand dollars for the EAF, which receives no government funding.
“All the money we raise on Tag Day stays in our community,” says Executive Coordinator Nicole White. The Emergency Assistance Fund provides financial assistance to HIV-positive individuals with emergent expenses that cannot be met by other means. With increasing rates of HIV in Saskatchewan, AIDS Saskatoon has struggled to keep up with requests. Between April 2010 and March 2011, thirty-four people received financial assistance. Twenty of these requests were related to hospitalization; others involved emergency transportation, eye exams and health supplements.
AIDS Saskatoon is a local non-profit organization with a mandate to provide outreach, support and education for people living with and affected by HIV and Hepatitis C in Central and Northern Saskatchewan. People interested in volunteering for Red Ribbon Tag Day can call our office at 242-5005 or email powerofmany@aidssaskatoon.ca for more information. You can find more information about AIDS Saskatoon online at www.aidssaskatoon.ca.
Nicole White, Executive Coordinator
(306) 242-5005
admin@aidssaskatoon.ca
