Chattanooga – The Southeast Tennessee Community HIV/AIDS Partnership Council hosted their annual World AIDS Day Event Sunday, December 1, 2024, at City of Chattanooga Outdoor Chattanooga. This year’s national theme was, “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress”. The event gathered over 65 participants and program entailed a lantern making workshop (lanterns were dedicated to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS) led by local artist, Domique Pruitt, creative paintings by local artist Augustus Giger, a.k.a (Gusto Gusto), musical entertainment by Community Arts Summit and an inspiring message by Pastor Eundra Porter with the Hamilton County Health Department. The message delivered by Pastor Porter emphasized the importance of being “change agents” in our community to ensure health equity and the importance of educational awareness. “Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latino people are disproportionately affected by HIV and make up more than half of estimated new HIV infections” (source, CDC.gov). The National HIV Strategy, targets to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. If you are interested in getting involved in your local HIV partnership council, please contact Nikita Edwards-Brown, Southeast Regional Manager for the HIV Initiative at Nikita.edwards-brown@unitedwaygn.org.