On December 1, 2008, First Baptist's coordinating minister the Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot participated in the 2008 World AIDS Day observance at the Town of Bennington's downtown office.
BENNINGTON BANNER:
Local residents mark World AIDS Day event
NEAL P. GOSWAMI, Staff Writer
BENNINGTON — The silver-colored U.S.S. Bennington Bell in front of the town office rang more than two dozen times Monday, as local residents joined with people across the globe to mark World AIDS Day.
Worldwide, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981. On Monday, about a dozen area residents gathered to remember those who have been afflicted by the disease.
"AIDS is a very, very real and difficult disease," said Bennington Town Manager Stuart A. Hurd. "We hear that it's getting better, but we all know different. We all know that the world is still being ravaged by this disease."
In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that more than 56,000 people were newly infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. According to the CDC's data, 56 percent of all new infections were from male-to-male sexual contact, 31 percent from heterosexual contact and 12 percent from injection drug use. Twice as many people in the 30 to 40 age range are diagnosed than people ages 20-30, and the highest number of people diagnosed were in the 40-44 age range, according to CDC data.
Vermont, however, has an HIV/AIDS case rate that is among the lowest in the nation, according to the Vermont Department of Health. As of Dec. 31, 2007, 482 people with HIV/AIDS were known to be living in Vermont. Vermont health officials said they are trying to educate people about the disease.
"We need to continue to dispel myths about this disease. For example, HIV is not transmitted through casual contact; sharing utensils or a telephone," said Rob Lunn, HIV/AIDS program director for the Vermont Department of Health. "Another myth is that HIV is not of concern in Vermont. HIV is a concern worldwide. People need to recognize their risk for HIV infection and take action." Lunn said the Health Department has programs "to help people stop their risk-taking behaviors," such as sharing needles or taking sexual risks.
Monday's annual ceremony in front of the town office was the first without Mark Crawford and Ted Doucette, who founded the Bennington Area AIDS project in 1988. It was the first local organization to offer assistance to AIDS patients. The program, which the state said was not eligible for state funds, managed to fund itself through Bingo games run out of a Main Street storefront.
"This is a special time for some of us. This whole bell-ringing was founded by Mark Crawford and Ted Doucette, so part of this is to remember them," Hurd said.
Reverend Jerrod Hugenot, of the First Baptist Church in Bennington, also spoke at Monday's ceremony, saying Americans had a responsibility to do as much as possible to help treat AIDS patients and cure the disease. He urged people to push the U.S. government to continue funding treatment programs in other parts of the world. "This is not a disease that is just in one place in the world. It's a global pandemic," Hugenot said.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 09:55AM 