Digg Story
Stumble It!Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day. More than a million people in the world, and some people in Lawrence are participating in the event.
Some local high school students and teachers tried to raise awareness about AIDS and the need for more help in prevention and care.
These students and teachers educated younger students about the HIV virus and gathered signatures to attract more attention from the federal government for medical care.
Free State High School recently created a special display honoring those affected by AIDS and HIV. Each of the 71 red balloons on the display represents 20 teenagers who have died or have been diagnosed with HIV this year in the U.S.
The Free State High School student executive for World AIDS Day, Katie Kesner, said many people in Kansas tended to consider AIDS as a sub-Saharan problem.
"Anybody can get it in any way," Kesner said. "Probably, people you know have it. And there are people in high schools who are HIV infected. Their parents have died. And I mean it's a local problem. It's not just worldwide."
