isplaying the Quilt is one of the most important things that we do here at the Michigan Chapter. So many wonderful people, organizations and events have welcomed our volunteers and Quilt into their lives to spread HIV/AIDS awarenss and provide a place to open the Quilt to viewing.

Below are a few recent events we were so lucky to be a part of....

The Pontiac Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. held an International Day of Service March 9, 2002 at North Oakland Medical Center in Pontiac, MI

The Pontiac Alumnae Chapter also presented to The NAMES Project Foundation - Michigan Chapter a panel they made (shown above) which was recieved by the Michigan Chapter and will be turned in with other Michigan Panels to the National Foudnation in Atlanta for incorporation into the Quilt.

We appreciated the opprotunity to bring a section of the Quilt (see photo to the right) to this event and commend the hard working women of Delta Sigma Theta for hosting this event.

Each year in September communities accross the state of Michigan hold AIDS Walks to promote HIV/ADIS awareness and to raise money for local organizations. The NAMES Project Foundation - Michigan Chapter helps several of these walks through the organization of large Quilt displays and supplies Quilt to trained volunteers to many other walks. This year the Michigan Chapter worked on displays with AIDS Walk Detroit in Royal Oak and Michigan AIDS Walk - City of Detroit in Detroit. Quilt was also displayed in Kalamazoo, Holland and Flint.

September 15, 2002

We had 20 Blocks of Quilt laid out on display when we had to pull all Quilt do to weather. We extend out heart-felt thanks to the volunteers of the Walk, the Walk organizers and a special thanks to Genesis Church volunteers who allowed us to pick up 20 Quilt over a one city block area in less than 90 seconds!

Six Blocks of Quilt were then placed on display inside the parking structure for the remainder of the day.

A family stands infront of their son's/brother's panel which they dedicated on Septebmer 15, 2002 at AIDS Walk Detroit in downtown Royal Oak. The mother finished the panel the evening before in an effort to dedicated it during the walk. A family member at far right holds a poster of her lost loved one to display while they walk.

Members of the AIDS Walk Detroit board begin the opening of the 20 Quilt Blocks on dispaly during the September 15, 2002 walk in downtown Royal Oak.

This is the boards 12th year of successfully organizing Michigan's largest AIDS Walk.

The NAMES Project Foundation - Michigan Chapter was honored to be part of "A Time For Healing Gospel Revival" in downtown Detroit's Hart Plaza on Saturday, September 14, 2002.

The program was presented by the Detroit Health Department's HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education Program, the Bureau of Substance Abuse and SE Michigan HIV/AIDS Advisory Council.

Chapter board members were on hand to lend the powerful message of the Quilt to the revival's many participants - some seeing the Quilt for the very first time.

The Keynote speaker was Dr. Uwa Osimiri, delegate of African Women Economic Consortium and the Rev. Dr. Edward Branch III of Third New Hope Church. Along with the keynote speaches special music was provided by Fire Praise & Jerel Band, Third Hope Youth Choir and very special guests, Godian Nigerian Choir.

Many new contacts were developed and the message of HIV/AIDS awareness was once again delivered through needle and thread.

Thankyou to all those who assisted on this display...

The theme of this year's Hotter Than July (HTJ) African American pride celebration wad "Discovery". The NAMES Project Foundation - Michigan Chapter was a proud partner of the HTJ 2002 Spiritual Candlelight Vigil. "The Vigil is a spiritual celebration of life, and a tribute to Afican Americans who have died of HIV/AIDS and/or breast cancer," says Curtis Lipscomb, of Men Of Color Motivational Group. The Vigil is held every year at the Memorial Evergreen in Detroit's Palmer Park, following the Pride March. The two events mark the official kickoff to the weekend.

September 26, 2002

We thank the fourth annual AIDS Walk Michigan City of Detroit for allowing us to display sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt during their walk on Belle Isle - Detroit, MI.

Quilt was on display in the skating pavilion along one of the island's many interior lakes.

Four Blocks of the Quilt were on display at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio.

The display was hosted by the Education Committe at TU which decided to hold their WAD events early in November to reach out to a higher number of students who may otherwise miss the important messages during the busy end of the semester when World AIDS Day falls on.

The Michigan Chapter services the norther areas of Ohio and has sent Quilt to TU in the past. We appreciate all the had work and efforts that the faculty and students put into the display and look forward to working with TU again in the future.

For a more detailed listing of the TU-WAD 2002 display please click on the Word file link below.

Various workshops, events and open displays made up Tiffin University's World AIDS Day awareness program which ran during the week of November 11, 2002. The display was held at the Gilmore Studen Center on the Tiffin, OH campus.

"As part of the observance of World AIDS Day, 6 Quilt sections were brought to FRIENDS Alliance Community Center for display on December 6-7, 2002. Panels were hung in our Community Room and in the front window for viewing at the open house held on those days. We thank the NAMES project for their participation in this event and to Dale Ragolski, information Specialist at FRIENDS, who's idea it was to bring the Quilt to FRIENDS. It is with such great pride that we have the ability and space to accommoate such a wonderful display." Among Friends January 2003 newsletter

Pictures above and to the right are of some of the Quilt on display at FRIENDS Alliance this December 6th thru the 7th.

Photos courtesy of Friends Alliance.