People will have the opportunity to get involved with the iconic fundraising campaign in innovative and exciting new ways. Participants can visit the virtual Red Ribbon Wall and pin a virtual red ribbon, host a red-themed virtual fundraiser or set a virtual World AIDS Day-related challenge.
Organised by NSW HIV organisation ACON, the Red Ribbon Appeal is an annual campaign in aid of efforts to eliminate HIV stigma, end the transmission and support people living with it. It is held throughout November and culminates on Red Ribbon Week.
"Every year, thousands of people across NSW unite and come together to get behind the Red Ribbon Appeal," ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill says. "We are grateful for the ongoing support from our communities for this important campaign."
"But we know that 2020 has been a challenging time, so we’ve developed some exciting new virtual initiatives to make sure everyone can get involved with the Red Ribbon Appeal no matter where they are, in a COVID-safe way."
People are being encouraged to organise virtual events for the appeal. ACON has produced a suite of digital resources to support virtual fundraisers, such as free red-theme trivia quizzes, custom Red Ribbon Zoom backgrounds and video messages.
"We are heartened to see how people come together each year for the Red Ribbon Appeal. But we know that getting together in 2020 is a challenge. These virtual initiatives will ensure we are still able to provide opportunities for people to show their support and be part of the Red Ribbon movement."
