WASHINGTON: Companies, organizations, and the federal government are going red for the 26th World AIDS Day to highlight the global health crisis at home and around the world.
Social media played a major role throughout the day on Monday, where accounts like The Huffington Post and Bank of America swapped out respective Twitter avatars in support of the day. Bank of America and Starbucks, among other brands, are also pledging donations for specific retweets.
Twitter itself joins the ranks for companies working with advocacy organization RED to combat AIDS.
Twitter is delighted to partner with @RED in support of #WorldAIDSDay today. Let’s #endAIDS. @twitterforgood pic.twitter.com/6Gq25Q9WKa
— Policy (@policy) December 1, 2014
We've gone @RED for #WorldAIDSDay! Visit http://t.co/ymEg6N5WNe to join the fight against HIV/AIDS. #onestep4red pic.twitter.com/rwY7SWihlL
— Bill Goede (@sumcents) December 1, 2014
Buy a handcrafted beverage on #WorldAIDSDay and help @RED raise money for the @GlobalFund. http://t.co/4YjKH3vtrD pic.twitter.com/lqxYQ2ZhVj
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) December 1, 2014
It’s #WorldAIDSDay! Watch Bono's video & our @BofA_Community partners will donate to @RED to fight AIDS. #onestep4RED http://t.co/9QIoxoZHl3
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) December 1, 2014
#BMS Foundation marks #WorldAidsDay by awarding $1.47M in new grants for HIV-related services in Sub-Saharan Africa http://t.co/QC36bAY4j8
— Bristol-Myers Squibb (@bmsnews) December 1, 2014
Celebrities plan to lend their support tonight, ahead of Monday Night Football.
Tonight on MN Countdown, a live concert from @RED + @BofA_Community w/ performances by @U2 and guests Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin.
— ESPN (@espn) December 1, 2014
The White House hosted and live-streamed a World AIDS Day event on the premises, and another video was posted online of President Barack Obama talking about "finishing the job." A giant red ribbon – the symbol of the AIDS crisis – hung outside the White House in commemoration of the day.
"Let's recommit ourselves to achieving an AIDS-free generation." —President Obama: http://t.co/1zaEmKG9eT #WorldAIDSDay
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 1, 2014
December 1 is World AIDS Day. @WhiteHouse hosts a #WAD2014 event at 12:00 PM EST. Watch on http://t.co/0xHGst3OB6. pic.twitter.com/y5Y7P524vg
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 30, 2014
The 2014 ONE AIDS Report released on Monday announced the "beginning of the end of AIDS," which means "more people were added to life-saving AIDS treatment over the past year than the number of people who became newly infected with HIV," per the report.
The ONE campaign is the sister organization to RED, according to Ari Goldberg, press secretary for ONE.
"Progress is very fragile," said Goldberg. "It’s like getting to the halfway point of a marathon – you can’t just stop and assume you’ll finish."
On Tuesday, ONE director of global health policy Erin Hohlfelder will participate in a Twitter chat to coincide with an ABC News story on the site, he said. Hohlfelder was also interviewed by Reuters, and the story went out to a global audience over the wire service. The organization will continue to pitch interviews across media as the effort to combat AIDS "is more than a one-day news story," said Goldberg.
Great coverage of @ONECampaign's new AIDS report in this AM's @FT by @andrew_ward1 http://t.co/k2OigBjfmY #WAD2014 pic.twitter.com/gXr8nqUGSD
— Erin Hohlfelder (@Global_ErinH) December 1, 2014
