The annual event commemorating and celebrating the lives of those who have passed from AIDS and AIDS-related illnesses will return to Barbara Hall Park on June 21, 2022…
The Toronto AIDS Candlelight Vigil is set to return to an in-person event after two long years of online ceremonies. The 2022 vigil will take place during Toronto’s Pride celebrations on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 9:00pm EST at Barbara Hall Park (519 Church Street).
This will be the 38th year for the Toronto AIDS Candlelight Vigil. The theme this year is ‘People, Purpose, Passion’ and focuses on those who live with HIV; those we have lost; along with how the vigil’s purpose has changed over time; and the inclusion of additional barriers such as language, housing and pension.
“We are so grateful to return in person to Barbara Hall Park, to support, care and advocate for all communities affected by the HIV/AIDS virus,” says Pedro Ribeiro Schuurhuis, AIDS Vigil Committee of Toronto Co-Chair. “Since its inception, the AIDS Candlelight Vigil has served as the annual community event for people living with HIV/AIDS, including friends, family, allies and the broader communities; honouring the lives lost to the disease and celebrating those who live with the virus. After two years of online ceremonies, it is meaningful and emotional to be able to return to honouring these individuals in the spirit and way the Vigil has always intended: together.”
It is estimated that six people out of every 100,000 in Canada become newly infected with HIV every day. Over 20,000+ people in Toronto have been diagnosed with HIV since 1985, and it is estimated that about 10,000+ people are currently living with HIV in Toronto. One in eight people who are living with HIV doesn’t know their status.
This year’s vigil will be hosted by Muluba Princess Habanyama and Randy Davis and will include performances from musicians Ryan Kerr, Christine Jackson and Moses. The event will close with a reading of the names of those who have passed from HIV/AIDS or AIDS-related illnesses, followed by a candle-lighting ceremony. The names read before the candle lighting ceremony will be engraved on the long-standing AIDS Memorial in the heart of Barbara Hall Park.
The 38th annual Toronto AIDS Candlelight Vigil will take place on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 9:00pm EST at Barbara Hall Park at 519 Church Street in Toronto.
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