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WHEREAS on December 1st of each year, Educating Teens About HIV/AIDS, Inc. commemorates World AIDS Day by hosting its "Red Ribbon Gala" which will be held this year on Saturday, December 1st, 2007, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the William Penn Ballroom of the OMNI William Penn Hotel; and
WHEREAS the purpose of this special event is to increase awareness among today's youth, as to the epidemics of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; and
WHEREAS during February of 2001, while serving as a Pennsylvania Delegate to the National Summit on Africa, held in Washington, D.C. Kezia L. Ellison learned of the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS and became determined to take action within her own community; and
WHEREAS the nonprofit organization Educating Teens About HIV/AIDS, Inc. was founded in 2001 by Kezia L. Ellison when she was a senior in high school, as a result of her Service Learning Project for the Pennsylvania Governor's School of Excellence for Health Care; and
WHEREAS also in 2001, March was declared Educating Teens About HIV/AIDS month by Pittsburgh City Council, with this becoming an annual event, to be remembered both locally and throughout the Harrisburg and Philadelphia areas; and
WHEREAS the goal of Educating Teens About HIV/AIDS, Inc. is "Prevention, Education, and Awareness" in order to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS among young adults between the ages of 13-24; and
WHEREAS 50% of all new HIV infections occur in individuals under the age of 25, with an increase in the spread of other sexually transmitted infections as well, suggesting that there remains a need for the unique programming that Educating Teens About HIV/AIDS, Inc. provides; and
`WHEREAS the motto of Educating Teens About HIV/AIDS, Inc. is that HIV/AIDS is 100% preventable and World AIDS Day is the appropriate day to acknowledge this very achievable goal.
NOW THERFEFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby wish to recognize Educating Teens About HIV/AIDS, Inc. and its upcoming gala, while also taking this opportunity to wish this important organization continued success in its future efforts to educate young people about the tragic effects of this preventable disease.