Equality Herald - World AIDS Day 2006 observed at the Fairbankx

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 2006 observance of World AIDS Day once again illustrated the community-wide cooperation that Knoxville and the surrounding area offer for people living with HIV/AIDS (PWLHAs.) More than 16 organizations came together to present a program featuring speakers, AIDS Quilt panels, music, and the traditional candlelight vigil.

The Outstanding Person Award 2006 went posthumously to Dr. Al Ichiki.

Dr. Al Ichiki

at World AIDS Day 2004 Observance

at the Foundry

Photo by Paul Balo

Dr. Ichiki was a biologist-immunologist who previously co-facilitated an HIV/AIDS support group along with Dr. Jeannie Gillian of the Hope Center. The group, sponsored by the Hope Center at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, serves men and women in sharing supportive information and experiences about surviving HIV-related illnesses.

Josh Barnes of the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Research Program served as the featured speaker for the evening.

Dan Kuninsky and Josh Barnes

Community Outreach and Recruitment Staff

Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program

Barnes serves as a Community Outreach Coordinator for the program.

From the Vanderbilt Web site:

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville Tennessee has been involved in vaccine research for almost 30 years. With the start of the search for a safe effective vaccine to help prevent HIV, the vaccine program at Vanderbilt joined other research sites in that effort in 1987.

We have been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) and are part of an international collaboration called the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). We also are participating in some studies directly funded by pharmaceutical companies.

Held at the beautiful Fairbanks facility, this year’s Observance included remarks by Vivian Gwinn and Samaritan’s Ministry’s Wayne Smith. Samaritans Ministry is a ministry to PLWHAs based at the Central Baptist Church of Bearden. Their director is Wayne Smith. Contact them by phone at 865-450-1000 ext 827. Their mailing address is Samaritan Ministry, 6300 Deane Hill Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919.

Ms. Gwinn is currently the director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Tennessee Valley, Inc., however she served as a prevention education with the Helen Ross-McNabb Center for many years.

Music was provided by the New Travelers. Missy Martin conducted the candlelight vigil.

Samaritan Ministry is a partner organization with:

Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship - www.tncbf.org
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship - www.thefellowship.info

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