6/1/2009

Contact: Darin Dusan
310-491-3170
ddusan@pedaids.org

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Joins Celebration to Recognize Charitable Efforts on Behalf of Kids

Las Vegas, Nevada—The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, on Sunday, celebrated Jewelers for Children (JFC)’s launch of Children’s Day, which will be held annually to commemorate the jewelry industry’s charitable efforts on behalf of children throughout the year. The announcement of this, the first annual Children’s Day, came as part of JFC’s 11th annual Facets of Hope dinner held in Las Vegas, Nevada, themed Honoring the Past, Building the Future: 10 Years of Honorees. The Foundation’s partnership with JFC spans more than a decade.

Foundation Celebrity Ambassador and actress Gloria Reuben was in attendance at the dinner and praised the efforts of the charity to reach children whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS and other catastrophic illness.
Reuben was joined on stage by Yonus Meredith, a seven-year-old HIV-positive boy adopted from Africa. His parents both died of AIDS when he was two, and he landed in an orphanage fighting for his life. “Thanks to [Jewelers for Children’s] support of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and all its programs around the world, it’s a much different story for children like Yonus today. Children now have access to the medicines they need to stay healthy, and thrive, and enjoy life,” Reuben said in her remarks.

“We are thrilled that Gloria and Yonus were here to help celebrate the first Children’s Day. Yonus is a perfect representation of the success Jewelers for Children and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation have achieved together,” said David Rocha, executive director of Jewelers for Children. “We look forward to helping fund the important programs around the world that are helping save the lives of children affected by HIV/AIDS.”

Jewelers for Children was one of the earliest contributors to the Foundation’s global programs and has generously supported prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV initiatives in several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and India. They have also provided crucial funding for other programs, such as the International Leadership Awards (ILA), which support physicians, scientists, and health specialists who are addressing the challenges of HIV/AIDS in countries severely impacted by the pandemic. Since the partnership began in 1998, JFC has contributed more than $6.3 million to the Foundation’s lifesaving programs.

“More than a decade ago, Jewelers for Children made a decision to get involved in the fight to eradicate pediatric HIV/AIDS, and because of that decision more babies are born free of HIV and those children living with HIV are getting the help they so desperately need,” said Foundation CEO and president Pamela W. Barnes. “But there are still 1,000 children a day infected with HIV around the world. The continued relationship between Jewelers for Children and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation will see to it that the number continues to decline until we see a generation born free of HIV.”

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About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a global leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. Its innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international prevention and treatment programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide.