Long Beach AIDS Foundation executive director Garry Bowie says his organization's new project, a youth-oriented Web site dubbed spotu.org, is a leap to reaching the city's youth.
In light of alarming facts issued by the Center for Disease Control, the Long Beach AIDS Foundation has opened a new youth awareness chapter to respond to saddening youth statistics. The organization reports that Over 50 percent of new HIV infections in Los Angeles County occur in youth ages 15 to 24. A quarter of them are not aware of their infection.
After the great success in reaching a younger target audience during last year's AIDS Day celebration, the foundation is already well on its way to making a difference with Long Beach's adolescents. The festivities last December attracted 700 more people than it did the year before, but the number alone wasn't the feat.
"50 percent of the people there had never been to an AIDS event before," Bowie said. "And 53 percent were families with their kids. The kids have to be there."
Spotu.org will be an online venue where young people can find out where to get tested locally, get the raw facts on HIV and AIDS infections, and also post their own stories about the disease. It was important to incorporate a social networking aspect into the site in order to keep up with sites like MySpace and Facebook, Bowie said.
After airing on 400 public service announcement spots on Charter cable starting May 19, 1,000 red heart-shaped balloons will be released at the AIDS Walk Long Beach this summer. Each will have a spotu.org postcard attached acting as what Bowie called "a call to action!"
"Hopefully," Bowie said. "Wherever the balloon falls, some curious person, young or old, will find the card and visit the site. The overall point is to get kids engaged [and] speak their language."
The AIDS Walk Long Beach will take place on Saturday, June 21, 2008.
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