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‘World AIDS Day’ observed in St. Pete as millions remembered

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Published  December 2, 2024 4:51pm EST
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News

Bell ringing tribute to lives lost to AIDS

FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers spoke with leaders at an AIDS prevention and treatment center.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A dozen hand bells tolled in St. Petersburg in observance of World AIDS Day. The ceremony was in remembrance of the millions of lives lost to AIDS. 

"Forty years ago, it was a death sentence," said Joy Winheim, the president of Empath Partners for Care (EPIC). "People were getting diagnosed and dying within days, weeks, and months." 

EPIC is a non-profit provider for AIDS treatment and prevention. 

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"Anything with someone with HIV needs, we are there to support you," said Winheim. 

The organization provides both prevention and treatment at little to no cost. They're part of a worldwide goal to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 with work to do along the way. 

"We do need to get rid of the stigma. It is not the death sentence it used to be," said Winheim. 

World AIDS Day began in 1988, and it's observed worldwide every December 1. On Sunday, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden walked beside a collection of AIDS quilts laid out on the White House Lawn. 

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"I want to make sure that everyone in the United States knows their HIV status, that everyone with HIV receives high quality care and treatment that they deserve," the president said. 

In the meantime, there's hope and help at EPIC even while those lost to AIDS are remembered. 

"There's going to be less need for ceremonies like this, because people are living longer lives," said Winheim.

For more information on EPIC, visit myepic.org.

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