Tuesday, November 9, 2021

The Wall Las Memorias: World AIDS Day


The Wall Las Memorias
(TWLM) will commemorate World AIDS Day on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, with the unveiling and rededication ceremony of The Wall Las Memorias AIDS Monument and the 28th Annual Noche de Las Memorias in Lincoln Park. As part of the commemoration, TWLM will also host an event “Honoring the Caregivers” on November 28th and a special celebration of Las Posadas in the Park on December 4th

This year’s community event, dedicated to remembering the lives and memories of those who we have lost to the AIDS epidemic, will take place at The Wall Las Memorias AIDS Monument in Lincoln Park located at 3600 N Mission Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90031 at 6:30pm. The evening is presented by Gilead and will include live musical performances, presentations by distinguished guests and a special candlelight ceremony.

The event will be live streamed to a global audience by +Life, a digital lifestyle platform focused on eliminating the stigma of living with HIV, simultaneously on both their social media channels and those of The Wall Las Memorias.

As the only publicly funded AIDS monument in the country, the event will reveal the expanded footprint of the surrounding landscape and exhibit new artwork and panels that carry an additional 800 new names of loved ones lost to HIV.

“We are delighted to be able to bring the community together to commemorate and celebrate the rededication of The Wall Las Memorias AIDS Monument,” said Richard Zaldivar, Founder and Executive Director of The Wall Las Memorias Project, “This year also marks 40 years since the start of the AIDS epidemic making it more important than ever to remember and salute not only those that have lost their lives to AIDS but also all of those that have fought tirelessly to eradicate this disease and those who have struggled with the stigma of living with HIV.””

In addition, TWLM will also host an “Honoring the Caregivers” community event at the Hollywood United Methodist Church. For 40 years, friends, family and loved ones have provided care to thousands of people living with AIDS. This solemn and celebratory event will honor caregivers with members of the faith-based community and local leaders, recognizing their selfless commitment to the cause of AIDS. The event will honor Cedars Sinai Medical CenterDignity HealthHIV CommissionProject Angel FoodLA County Office of HIV & STDLA County-USC Medical CenterUCLA Medical, and the California Nurses Association. The event “Honoring the Caregivers" presented by GIlead will include live musical performances, presentations by distinguished guests, and a reception to celebrate the work of the caregivers.

Continuing the festivities TWLM will celebrate with colorful tradition of Las Posadas in the Park. Community members will be invited to enjoy a staged performance of this classic Latino holiday tradition and enjoy different stations hosted by community partners where they will be immersed in cultural experiences and receive treats such as hot chocolate, churros, and pastries. Attendees will enjoy a performance by the emblematic and iconic local band Las Cafeteras in addition to free resourcesgiveawaysand raffle prizes.

Additional sponsors include Dignity Health, USC, PhRMA, Aetna, Charles Dunn, Kaiser Permanente, Avita, California Community Foundation, Cedars Sinai, Health Net, Prime Healthcare, SoCalGas, UCLA Health, Verizon, Warner Brothers, Western Dental and Weingart Foundation.