MCC Alberta hosts AIDS fundraiser

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Alberta held its annual Glimmers of Hope for AIDS May 27 on the University of Calgary campus. Focusing on women and AIDS, the event raised funds and awareness about the pandemic.

Pictured are (l–r) keynote speakers Louise Binder, Marry Tumbo, and Kerrel McKay with MCC spokesperson Cindy Klassen.

Keynote speakers explained how many women are virtually powerless against AIDS when they live in a culture where sexual relations are assumed and determined entirely by men. The speakers shared their own stories of living with AIDS and the stigma and loneliness it can bring. They also highlighted the importance of education, prevention, and care-giving in fighting the disease.

Cindy Klassen, Canada’s Olympic speed skating champion and MCC spokesperson, presented a video of her recent trip to Ethiopia and Nigeria, where she visited several AIDS projects supported by MCC. Klassen said she found a sense of hope and commitment to action wherever she went.

MCC runs some 60 such AIDS projects, many in sub-Saharan Africa.

—Ryan Weber for MCC Alberta