July 17th 2008
Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Supports Needle Exchange
Filed under: campaigns, honors — parrish @ 10:23 am
The Elton John AIDS Foundation isn’t just about tiaras and white ties! Hell no! In fact, the foundation recently rolled up their sleeves and took to the streets of New York with a community based needle exchange program to help stop blood born diseases. Volunteers from the organization set up shop all over NYC with a massive supply of clean needles to offer hepatitis screening, vaccines, HIV testing and treatment programs.
Director of Community Relations and New York Harm Reduction Educator, Troy Branch, says, “If you’re going to inject yourself, use clean needles. We’ll give you 50 new ones if you give us 50 old ones. It’s been extremely successful.”
About the foundation Elton John says, “I have lost many dear friends to this terrible disease. In the mid-1980s, I began channeling my grief into efforts to help raise money for the pioneering charitable organizations that formed during those dark, grim years to fund AIDS research and provide vital services to people with HIV/AIDS.”
Oh and it turns out we aren’t the only ones who think Elton is cool. Ben and Jerry’s will soon be releasing a Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road flavor to honor Elton with all the proceeds going to his foundation.
To learn more about the Elton John AIDS Foundation visit EJAF.org!
thanks: looktothestars.org
Leave a Reply