AIDS Delaware celebrated its 25th anniversary at an intimate cocktail party at the home of Bishop Wayne and Holly Wright in Wilmington on Saturday, June 27.
About 50 current and former employees, volunteers, board members, supporters, and officials attended the event. The guests included Senator Thomas Carper and some of AIDS Delaware’s founding members, who dedicated their time and talents to assist those living with HIV/AIDS in the 1980s.
The organization was founded in 1984 as Delaware Lesbian & Gay Health Advocates, Inc., but changed its name to AIDS Delaware in the early 1990s to reflect its mission of improving all lives in the human family.
“I was very pleased to see many of our organization’s founders join us for the celebration. These individuals worked extremely hard to help people who were living with AIDS at the beginning of the epidemic,” said John Klein, Executive Director, AIDS Delaware. “Without the work of our founders, we would not have the established statewide organization, that AIDS Delaware is today; continuing to assist those living with the disease, providing HIV counseling and testing, and educating thousands about HIV/AIDS.”
Besides being the first non-profit AIDS service organization in Delaware, it is also the largest organization providing services in all three counties of the state.
“As we celebrate our anniversary, we continue to stay focused on assisting those living with the disease and reducing the number of infections in Delaware,” Klein said.
Over 3,500 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Delaware. The state also consistently ranks in the top ten states for HIV infection rates per capita in the country.
