The Compact Prayer Ribbons invited to Capitol Hill for World AIDS Day
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The Provincetown Community Compact is honored to be invited to US Congress to share the story of the Provincetown Community and our response to HIV/AIDS. Thank you.Come Visit Displays of Remembrance, Hope andSupport for 2016 World AIDS Day, December 1. Provincetown Swim for Life Prayer Ribbons Visit Capitol Hill
Dear Colleagues:Since the first cases of AIDS were diagnosed in 1981, communities around the world have been devastated by this terrible disease. Provincetown, Massachusetts, a well- known LGBTQ resort on the tip of Cape Cod, was one of those communities that was affected and decided to fight despair with hope.Each year, the first weekend after Labor Day, Provincetown holds the Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla to raise awareness and money for local AIDS support. They have held successful events through rain or shine since 1988 and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS support services around Cape Cod. In 1993, the Swim for Life starting displaying five-foot long, multi-colored Prayer Ribbons near the race route on which swimmers write their personal thoughts about how AIDS has impacted them, their friends and/or families. The visual statements are an important, familiar and moving part of the event. The Prayer Ribbons have also been displayed around Massachusetts, including the State House in Boston.
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I am pleased the Provincetown Swim for Life Prayer Ribbons will be on display on World AIDS Day, Thursday, December 1, 2016 from 11:00am-3:00pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. There will be a brief speaking program at 1pm featuring Jay Critchley, the Swim for Life founder. Members and staff are invited to come see these important symbols of the fighting the AIDS epidemic and are also encouraged to take photos and share their experience on social media.I am proud of the work members of the Provincetown community have done to raise funds, provide support for those living with, and remembering those who have died of AIDS. I hope you and your staff can attend this important event.If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Zach Dupont in Congressman Neal’s office at zach.dupont@mail.house.gov or 202-225-5601.Sincerely,Richard E. NealMember of Congress
