THUNDER BAY - They are warm, soft, and stylish, but a collection of homemade red scarves being distributed throughout the city carry a very important message.
On Saturday, Elevate NWO launched its 3rd annual Red Scarf Campaign to raise awareness about HIV prevention and treatment.
The campaign, which takes place in cities across Canada, kicked off with a knit-in at Intercity Shopping Centre Saturday afternoon, where volunteers worked at knitting or crocheting red scarves that will be distributed throughout the city for free leading up to World AIDS Day on Dec. 4.
Tonya Muchano, community developer at Elevate NOW, said the red scarves are meant to represent the well-known AIDS ribbon. Last year more than 220 scarves were made and Muchano is hoping to see even more keeping people warm this season.
“What we are trying to do by having this very large symbol of HIV awareness is to make it more visible, try to reduce that stigma, and try to encourage people to learn more about the disease as it is today, get tested, get treated, and get into care,” she said.
According to Muchano, HIV and AIDS awareness has nearly left the public consciousness, but there are still a lot of misconceptions and misinformation about the disease.
“A lot of people, when they think about HIV, they are thinking about the AIDS crisis of the 1980s,” she said. “HIV has changed so much since that time.”
Muchano said initiatives like the Red Scarf Campaign help put HIV back into the spotlight in the hopes of educating people about treatments and reducing the stigma surrounding getting tested.
“Medically speaking, we can manage HIV like a chronic illness now, just the same as diabetes or any other chronic illness, but a lot of people are not aware of that,” Muchano continued. “The stigma now is what prevents people from accessing services and care.”
Anyone who would like to make a red scarf, donate one, or volunteer can contact Elevate NWO.
