World AIDS Day is Monday, and HIV North will be marking the day here in Grande Prairie with a screening of the movie ‘Dallas Buyers Club’.
There are 34 million people around the world currently living with HIV, 75,000 of those are here in Canada.
Here in the Peace Region, there have been 7 people diagnosed since 2012, and in the Fort McMurray area there have been 36.
HIV North Executive Director Susan Belcourt-Rothe says she recently saw the film for the first time, and was very affected by it.
“I literally was brought to tears. I was horrified and disgusted that people had to go to the extremes they did to be provided with medication. I’m very grateful to be a part of a health care society here in Canada where medication is available, and it is good medication, and it works.”
Tickets for the showing are $15 each, with the proceeds going to HIV North.
Doors at the Grande Prairie Live Theatre open at 6, with the show starting at 7 on Monday.
Belcourt-Rothe says the organization is also always looking for donations of gently used winter clothing like toques, mitts, and winter boots to distribute amongst Grande Prairie’s homeless population.
She says if anyone has an extra donation of warm winter clothing they would like to make, it would be very appreciated.
