MARY ANN T. GREEN (813) 974-4892
Mgreen@floridaaidsaction.org
Tony Lee (813) 232-5886

JOIN FLAA FOR AN EVENING IN ASIA

Tampa, FL - Exquisite cuisine, exotic entertainment and an exceptional cause define An Evening In Asia - a dinning experience to benefit Florida AIDS Action and The AIDS Memorial Park on Sunday, June 2, 2002.

From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., a myriad of guests will enjoy an evening of Asian delicacies and entertainment at Profusion, a chic Asian restaurant in Tampa's new International Plaza. The focus of this enchanting evening of fine dinning and entertainment - raising HIV/AIDS awareness and funds for Florida AIDS Action (FLAA) and The AIDS Memorial Park.

Current statistics reveal startling facts about HIV/AIDS in the United States and, more specifically, Florida:
- 42,000 individuals became infected with HIV last year alone, a 5% increase over the year 2000
- More than 900,000 men, women and children in the U.S. are living with HIV disease
- Only 1/3rd of those in the U.S. infected with HIV/AIDS know that they have HIV disease
- 51% of all new HIV infections in the U.S. occur in people under 25 yrs of age
- Women comprise the fastest growing population of new HIV infections in our nation
- AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American women in the U.S.
- Florida ranks 1st in the nation for cumulative HIV cases
- Florida is 2nd in the nation for pediatric AIDS cases
- Florida ranks 3rd nationally for adult and adolescent AIDS cases
- 95,000 Floridians are living with HIV/AIDS
- 5,000 men, women and children in Florida become infected with HIV each year

"We are always looking for new ways to let our communities know that the battle with AIDS is far from over," explains FLAA's Executive Director Dr. Gene Copello. "This event is one such measure. We provide the community with an evening of lively entertainment, but also with a means of supporting efforts across Florida to halt this life-threatening epidemic."

Tickets are $200 per person/$350 per couple. Tickets, tables/sponsorships are available. For more information on An Evening In Asia or HIV/AIDS public policy and advocacy issues, please contact Florida AIDS Action by phone at: (813) 232-5886, or by email at: information@floridaaidsaction.org.

A special thank you to the sponsors of this event for their generous support:
AIDS HealthCare Foundation, American Academy of HIV Medicine, Florida Chapter, Boehringer Ingelheim, Commcare Pharmacy, Color Me Mine, Crescent Resources, Event Magazine, GlaxoSmithKline, Positive Healthcare, Production Partners, Inc., Profusion, QueerTampa.com, The Bank of Tampa, The Nature Shop, Time Warner Communications, USF Division of Infectious & Tropical Disease at TGH/IDCenter.com.

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Florida AIDS Action, the only statewide nonprofit HIV/AIDS agency in Florida, promotes social change through community planning, education, public policy research and advocacy. For more information, call
(813) 232-5886, or visit on the web at www.floridaaidsaction.org .