May 29, 2008 – In recognition of Caribbean HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on June 8 and National HIV Testing Day on June 27, Helping Others in a Positive Environment (HOPE) Inc. will launch its "Do It for Life" HIV-testing campaign.
Ranking second to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean remains the region most affected by HIV in the Western Hemisphere. Driven by behavioral, social-cultural, equity and economic issues, the HIV pandemic continues to have a severe impact on young people, women and children. A commitment by all to end this pandemic is realistic if all persons who have ever been sexually active or shared injecting drugs get tested for HIV and receive their HIV test result.
Between June 8 and June 27, HOPE Inc. will raffle a one-way ticket to a 2008 high school graduate who will be entering a college or trade school off-island during the 2008 fall semester. Graduating high school students who will attend the fall semester at the University of the Virgin Islands can enter to win a semester's worth of college textbooks.
To enter the lottery, students must show proof of being HIV tested within the past two months or take the HIV test and receive results between the dates of June 8 and June 27. Students must show their school IDs to enter the lottery.
