AIDS Quilt Project to host 2nd Annual Quilt Procession Oct. 7

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SANTA BARBARA (CA) – For the second year in a row and in observation of October AIDS Awareness Month, the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit Quilt Project Gold Coast (QPGC) will hold its 2nd Annual AIDS Memorial Procession from 4-5pm on Saturday, October 7th.

Also known as the “Procession of Quilts,” all are invited to participate, with walkers gathering before 4pm on the corner of Anapamu and Anacapa streets. The Procession will walk over to State Street and down, finishing up at Santa Barbara City Hall for a display and short program to remember those who have died from AIDS complications.

The local 501(c)(3), which has completed dozens of Quilt panels honoring those lost to the disease, will assign a Quilt panel to teams to carry in the procession.

“The numbers of new infections in the counties of Santa Barbara and Ventura are on the rise,” said Keith Coffman-Grey, QPGC board president and co-organizer of the walk. “We hope to repeat the success of last year, where hundreds of people saw the Procession and are reminded that the disease is still in our community, and people are still getting sick and dying of AIDS in the Gold Coast.”

At the front steps of City Hall, walkers will bring the Quilts and set them on the greens at the Anacapa side for a short program, which will include a message from Coffman-Grey and a period of silent reflection.

Anyone interested in taking part in the procession may show up at Anacapa and Anapamu streets at 4pm on October 7th.

For more information, contact QPGC at 805-569-0561, or email quiltprojectgoldcoast@gmail.com. The website is www.quiltprojectgoldcoast.org. Companies or institutions interested in hosting their own Quilt display may contact the numbers as well.