A quilt can represent many things. Warmth, comfort and safety tend to spring to mind when one thinks of a quilt. The AIDS Memorial Quilt, however, represents hope.
Last week, students got the opportunity to view the AIDS quilt as part of HIV/AIDS Awareness Week. Six panels of the quilt were on display in Driscoll for the “In Memory and Hope Display.” The display was free and open to all from Monday through Wednesday, in addition to other AIDS awareness events, such as free testing for AIDS/HIV. In addition to viewing the quilt, students were given the opportunity to create their own quilt panels.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt has been around since 1987, when it was created in San Fransisco by a small group of people who had lost friends, lovers or family members to the disease. Today, the ever-growing quilt contains more than 44,000 panels, each representing the life of someone who has died from AIDS.
The quilt is split into multiple sections, which tour the United States and the world. The countries that participate in the AIDS quilt include Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany,, parts of China, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uganda, the United States (including the territory of Guam & commonwealth of Puerto Rico) and Zambia.
The quilt has been displayed in its entirety only five times, the most recent of which was in 1996. The money collected at each stop on the quilt’s tour is given to AIDS service organizations.
As of Oct. 2003, the quilt contained more than 82,000 names, which represented approximately 17.5 percent of AIDS deaths in the United States.
More panels are constantly being added to the quilt, in rememberance of friends, family, and lovers who have died from this disease.
Some famous names on the quilt include Freddie “Mercury” Bulsara, the lead singer of the group Queen, and Liberace, a musical performer.
For more information, visit the official Web site at www.aidsquilt.org.
