Benefit concert to open XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada
CANFAR and NMCFC co-host AIDS 2006 concert with major recording artists
to raise awareness and funds to fight HIV/AIDS
July 24, 2006, Toronto - The week-long XVI International AIDS Conference
(AIDS 2006) will kick off with a major opening concert on Sunday evening,
August 13, 2006 at the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto. The concert event,
Time to Deliver - The AIDS 2006 Concert, will feature a lineup of star
performers, dignitaries and leaders, and is being co-presented by the Canadian
Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
Canada (NMCFC).
The lineup of outstanding musical performers includes Amanda Marshall,
Chantal Kreviazuk, the Barenaked Ladies, Our Lady Peace, Alicia Keys, Thomas
Mapfumo from Zimbabwe, the Red Spirit Singers and Dancers, Massari, Blue Man
Group, DJ Tiesto from The Netherlands and more. The concert will immediately
follow the official opening proceedings.
"These two events in one evening at the Rogers Centre - the opening with
the concert promise to make this a memorable evening that will bring even
greater attention to the AIDS issue here in Canada and around the world," said
Andrew Pringle, CANFAR Board President.
The opening proceedings will include welcome remarks by Her Excellency
the Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada, The
Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario and His Worship David Miller,
Mayor of Toronto; as well as remarks by Frika Chia Iskandar, a young
Indonesian woman living with HIV/AIDS; and UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter
Piot. The opening will conclude with a keynote address by Bill and Melinda
Gates, Co-Chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a performance by
Canadian opera star Measha Brueggergosman with musicians from the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra.
Other major participants attending the conference include former
Presidents Mary Robinson and Bill Clinton, HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of
Norway, who is a UNAIDS Special Representative, and actors Richard Gere and
Olympia Dukakis.
"This conference is a tremendous opportunity to share knowledge and
develop new strategies to prevent infection and prolong life for people living
with HIV/AIDS," said Dr. Mark Wainberg, Chair of the AIDS 2006 Toronto Local
Host. "The conference organizers are extremely grateful for all the speakers,
performers and other participants who have agreed to lend their voices and
mobilize action in support of our conference theme, Time to Deliver."
Tickets for the official opening and concert are on sale to the public.
"This concert is truly a community event, uniting conference participants with
the people of Toronto in our shared commitment to fight AIDS. We are grateful
to have the partnership of CANFAR, NMCFC and ACT in making these events
possible for our community and the conference," said Darryl Perry, Executive
Director of the AIDS 2006 Toronto Local Host.
Doors at the Rogers Centre will open at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 13.
The Official Opening Session will begin at 7:00 p.m., and the concert will
begin by 9:00 p.m. immediately following the Official Opening. A single ticket
provides entry to the opening and the concert.
Proceeds from the concert will go towards fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic
both locally and globally through CANFAR, the NMCFC, and the AIDS Committee of
Toronto Community Partners Fund, and will also support future scholarships for
the next International AIDS Conference to be held in Mexico City in 2008.
"This concert brings together people from all over the world who are
united in the fight against AIDS," says Mark Beckles, Chief Executive Officer
of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Canada. "The International AIDS
Conference is the biggest event happening in Toronto this summer, and this
concert is not to be missed."
AIDS 2006 brings together the best minds from science, research and
social policy, as well as the voices of communities affected by HIV/AIDS. An
estimated 20,000 participants from over 140 countries are expected to attend
the biennial conference, the largest and most important gathering in the fight
against AIDS, to be held in Toronto, Canada from 13-18 August 2006.
The conference is organized around three components: science, community,
and leadership. The programme will offer over 400 sessions, meetings and
workshops featuring important scientific advances and discussion of current
policy issues among political, scientific and community leaders and others on
the frontlines of the epidemic. The programme will feature the latest research
and a wide variety of activities, including sessions planned by and for young
people, Viral Culture which is the Cultural Activities Programme in museums,
galleries and other venues throughout downtown Toronto, and the Global Village
that will be open to the general public.
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The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, CANFAR, is the national
charitable foundation whose goal is to raise awareness in order to generate
funds for research in Canada into all aspects of HIV infection and AIDS.
CANFAR is the only organization operating in Canada for the sole purpose of
privately funding research on AIDS and HIV infection in numerous areas
including fundamental and applied research, education and prevention,
psychosocial initiatives, care, and community research.
Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (Canada) works closely with the Nelson
Mandela Children's Fund to nurture, motivate and care for the future of
children and youth in South Africa. We ensure that all funds donated are used
to empower children and youth from impoverished backgrounds and improve the
quality of their lives. Our goals are to: assist disadvantaged children and
youth in South Africa; assist and provide financial aid to the Nelson Mandela
Children's Fund in South Africa; and educate and inform the public about the
social and economic challenges facing the children and youth in South Africa.
The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) designates a portion of its annual
fundraising revenue to fund partnering organizations in Toronto that provide
support services for people living with HIV/AIDS and/or provide HIV prevention
education to those at risk for infection. In the history of the Community
Partners Fund ACT has provided over $2.2 million to enhance the community
response to HIV/AIDS in Toronto
The International AIDS Conference is one of the most important gatherings
for the release and discussion of key scientific and other developments in the
global fight against HIV/AIDS. As the largest and most diverse international
gathering devoted to a global health issue, the conference brings together the
movement of people responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic to share their lessons
and together stake out the road ahead. In so doing, the conference directly
affects the lives of those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and is an
important catalyst for change.
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