The aids virus continues to have an impact around the world and here in Austin.
Sunday night marked the 12th year Austin took part in the 28th International Aids Candlelight Memorial.
Each candle honors a life lost to aids and hopes to raise the social consciousness about
HIV. The event was held at Republic Square Park. It attracted about 100 people including Mayor Lee Leffingwell who spoke to the crowd.
Austin's event was one of 1200 simultaneous memorial services going on around the world.
More than 25 million people have died from aids world-wide and more than 33 million are estimated to be living with HIV. The memorial’s mission is to honor and support them in some way.
“Life is so different today,” said Bart Loeser, an HIV/Aids survivor. “We need to memorialize that a lot of great people who have gone before us; and we must keep their memories alive because we would not be who we are without them.”
Since last year's memorial service, forty-two Central Texans have passed away. Austin's aids memorial candlelight service is the oldest and largest in the state.
