Unit Trust $$ for AIDS victims

The Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) of Trinidad and Tobago will stage its third annual “Ribbons of Hope” run/walk on June 5 around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. It hopes to generate around $125,000 to help HIV/AIDS patients. The event was launched yesterday at the UTC’s Penthouse on Independence Square, Port-of-Spain with Acting CEO of the Corporation Michael Alexander in attendance. “The statistics on HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago continue to demand that we mobilise our energy resources to reduce rates of infection and ensure that persons already affected enjoy acceptable standards of health care and living conditions,” said Alexander.

“Data published by CAREC indicates that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean is surpassed only by that in Sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.
“We at the UTC are trying to do our part to help in AIDS awareness and we think that one tangible way of helping is trying to raise funds to help those who are already inflicted and to educate the rest of the population,” Alexander said. “Whereas in the first two years we targetted females, this year we are welcoming entire families into the ribbon’s loop. We are anticipating the support of some 5,000 participants and after today’s launch there will be an intensive promotional campaign,” he said. The cost of taking part in the event is $25 and registration forms can be collected at UTC’s nine branches nationwide.

Angela Trenton-Mbonde, a Team Leader from UNAIDS, was also on hand at the press briefing. “Families are the foundation of our society and an integral part of the development of any country. It is of tremendous importance that we educate our population so that they can curb the rise in HIV/AIDS infection,” she said. Shawn Freeman from the Cyril Ross Nursery in a moving speech said that Trinidad and Tobago must understand the disease and must desist from discriminating against infected persons.

UTC’s Gayle Daniel-Worrell added that the scorn people mete out to patients is even worse than the dreaded disease. She also made a call for citizens to be more aware of the disease and to treat those infected with courtesy. Anthony Appoy is the race co-ordinator from the Trinidad and Tobago Road Runners Club. He detailed the race and said it would start at Victoria Street and make the entire distance of the savannah. At the end of the race there will be entertainment and a lot of giveaways courtesy UTC. Appoy also added that his club is already sponsoring 100 kids from a special home and others who wish to be sponsored can contact the Trinidad and Tobago Road Runners Club.