City Officials Dedicate AIDS Memorial Park In Greenwich Village On World AIDS Day
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A special tribute was held in honor of World AIDS Day to the victims who died of the disease in New York City.
The AIDS Memorial Park at Saint Vincent's Triangle in Greenwich Village was dedicated on Thursday.
The project was launched in 2011 to remember the men, women and children who have died from AIDS in the five boroughs.
The memorial is located across the street from the old Saint Vincent's Hospital, which was once home to the city's first and largest AIDS ward.
The dedication ceremony was one of many events being held across the globe aimed at increasing AIDS awareness.
As 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported, thousands turned out for the event.
"It's so good that you are here, it's so important that we pay homage and tribute to those we've lost, and those who are still fighting," Broadway performer Lillias White told the crowd.
The dedication ceremony also featured a reading of the 100,000 New Yorkers names who have died from the disease, WCBS-880's Marla Diamond reported.
In conjunction with the ceremony, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a series of initiatives to end the AIDS epidemic in the state.
The governor signed legislation that will "eliminate barriers to testing, increase access to treatment, advance cutting-edge research and expand access to HIV services for youth," his office said in a statement.
Cuomo also set a goal of zero AIDS deaths and zero HIV transmission through drug use by the end of 2020. He hopes to achieve this goal by fostering collaborations between researchers and policy makers in order to bridge knowledge gaps.
Apple marked World AIDS Day by giving more than 400 of its stores a makeover in red.
The company said that stores on five continents are turning their logos red or featuring red window decals on Thursday in an effort to raise visibility for World AIDS Day. It's also launching new products and efforts to support (RED), a multi-brand effort aimed at raising money to fight the spread of the disease in Africa.
The tech giant is adding four new (RED)-themed products to its lineup, including iPhone cases and Beats headphones. Some popular games in Apple's App Store are offering (RED)-themed in-app purchases. Apple also says it will donate up to $1 million to (RED) from money raised through Apple Pay.
Apple is marking its 10th year of partnering with (RED).
At the United Nations on Wednesday, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and supermodel Naomi Campbell spoke about ending the epidemic.
"Every child deserves care, every person deserves treatment, and all vulnerable groups deserve protection from stigma and abuse," Ki-Moon said.
"I stand in solidarity with the millions of young women and adolescent girls growing up in a world that puts them at risk of HIV or dying from AIDS," Campbell said.
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