OAKLAND, Calif. — Tonight at Oracle Arena, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, actor/activist Danny Glover, and the Golden State Warriors will encourage fans and all Bay Area residents to be “Greater Than AIDS” as part of a national partnership with NBA Cares. Greater Than AIDS is new national movement to respond to AIDS in America developed by the Menlo Park-based Kaiser Family Foundation together with the Black AIDS Institute.
As part of a locally-focused partnership with The California Healthcare Foundation, Greater Than AIDS has teamed up with the Golden State Warriors for “WARRIORS > AIDS” night to mobilize NBA fans and Bay Area communities in response to AIDS in the United States and reduce the stigma associated with the disease. In addition to in-arena messaging and co-branded giveaways at tonight’s Warriors game against the New Orleans Hornets, Mayor Quan and Danny Glover will address the crowd during half-time to introduce a NBA /Greater Than AIDS public service message. The Warriors>AIDS game is developed as part of an ongoing partnership between Greater Than AIDS and the NBA/WNBA.
Staff and volunteers from two leading Bay Area organizations — Get Screened Oakland and San Francsico AIDS Foundation — will be on-hand at Oracle Arena to distribute custom informational materials and connect fans with local services. All materials distributed to fans at the game feature these local resources.
More than 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS today — more than at any time in the 30 year history of the epidemic. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 5 of those who are positive does not know it. Early diagnosis and treatment are known to improve the lives of those living with the disease. Stigma also remains a major barrier to stemming the spread of HIV. The Bay Area remains disportionately impacted, with higher than national prevalence rates in Oakland and San Francisco
Tonight’s WARRIORS > AIDS night tips off at 7:30 PM at Oracle Arena in Oakland as the Warriors host the New Orleans Hornets. Tickets are available at http://www.warriors.com.
About Greater Than AIDS
Greater Than AIDS is an unprecedented collaboration among a broad coalition of public and private sector partners united in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States, in particular among Black Americans and other disproportionately affected groups. Through a national media campaign and targeted community outreach, Greater Than AIDS aims to increase knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS and confront the stigma surrounding the disease. http://www.greaterthan.org
The Kaiser Family Foundation — a leader in health policy and communications — provides strategic direction and day-to-day management, as well as oversees the production of the media campaign. The Black AIDS Institute — a think tank exclusively focused on AIDS in Black America — provides leadership and expert guidance and directs community engagement. Greater Than AIDS is developed in support of Act Against AIDS, an effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to refocus attention on the domestic epidemic. Additional, financial and substantive support is provided by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Ford Foundation and MAC AIDS Fund, among others.
About Greater Than AIDS / NBA Cares Partnership
Greater Than AIDS and the National Basketball Assocation have teamed up to mobilize NBA fans and local communities in response to AIDS in the United States and reduce the stigma associated with the disease. The partnership includes television and public service ads (PSAs) featuring NBA / WNBA players, including Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers), Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx), whose father, former professional baseball player Alan Wiggins, died of AIDS in 1991. as well as targeted activations, community events, and special “Greater Than AIDS” in-arena nights to bring attention to HIV/AIDS in priority markets. Learn more: http://www.greaterthan.org/nba