About 20 people walked in a candlelight vigil from St.

Thursday, December 02, 1999

About 20 people walked in a candlelight vigil from St. Augustine Catholic Church to St. Olaf Lutheran Church, and while many individual thoughts were of solemn rememberance and prayer, those carrying candles were not walking alone.

Indeed, the Austin observance Tuesday night was part of the 12th annual World AIDS Day, which endeavors to promote communication and awareness of the magnitude of the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"It’s an educational experience and it’s a healing experience," said State Senator Pat Piper (DFL-Austin), who lost a cousin to AIDS. "These people are willing to share, lobby, and tell their stories to put a face on a very real health and community issue."

Piper, whose cousin grew up in rural Minnesota, said that AIDS is a very real issue in "America’s Heartland." There are 10 reported AIDS cases in Mower County.

As of 1999, 33.4 million men, women and children worldwide were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. If trends continue, 590,000 children under 15 and more than 2.5 million 15 to 24-year-olds will be infected with HIV.

World AIDS Day linked communities throughout the United States in a unified observance to signify the commitment to fight the AIDS global epidemic and pay tribute to those who have died from AIDS and to people living with the disease.

The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day was "AIDS-End the Silence." In addition to the candlelight vigil, a community ecumenical service was held at St. Augustine, where people affected directly and indirectly spoke of their experiences with the disease. AIDS awareness ribbons were distributed by the Mower County AIDS Task Force and the Mower County Chapter of the American Red Cross.