[January 01, 2013]

AHF to Draw Fiat 500 Winner at Pasadena 'Out of the Closet' Store New Year's Day

AIDS Healthcare Foundation:

After celebrating its 2^nd Queen's Trophy award for its annual Tournament of Roses Parade entry with its 'Global Face of AIDS' float, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) plans to keep the focus on AIDS-and in Pasadena-as 100 finalists compete in a chance to win a 2012 Fiat 500 automobile from AIDS Healthcare Foundation's 'Test-to-Win' contest. The contest drawing takes place in a gala celebration from 5pm to 7pm at AHF's Pasadena 'Out of the Closet' thrift store on the famed route of the Rose Parade (1726 Colorado Blvd., cross street: Meredith Ave).

Since September, 2,000 people became eligible for the Fiat contest via free HIV testing events and online entries. Earlier this month, a list of 100 finalists were drawn, and on New Year's Day, one lucky contestant's name will be drawn and he or she will kick off 2013 with a new car!

The Fiat giveaway was part of a media and awareness campaign kicked off by AHF in September to encourage more widespread HIV testing. It coincided with the national introduction of bioLytical Laboratories' one-minute HIV test, the INSTI™ Rapid HIV Test, which was approved for widespread use in the United States in late July by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The one-minute HIV testing technology-which has been widely deployed in other countries in Africa and elsewhere over the past four years, first became available in the US in September at AHF's inaugural 'Test to Win' free HIV testing event at the Abbey in West Hollywood. Anyone that tested had a chance to enter to win the specially-wrapped Fiat 500 convertible that has been generously provided by Santa Monica Fiat and which is being given away January 1^st, 2013 after 12 subsequent '1 Minute Results' testing events that were scheduled throughout the Southland over the past three months.

In all, 13 HIV testing events took place from September 22^nd through December 14^th during which 894 people tested and five HIV-positive individuals were identified.

At the time of the launch of the INSTI Rapid HIV Test, Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Senior Director of AHF's Public Health Division said, "The increased availability of the INSTI^TM 60-second rapid test in the US is a game-changer and will allow for large-scale testing events and new ways for point-of-care testing in Emergency Rooms. Most importantly, it will lead to new techniques of reaching people."

"Knowing one's HIV status through testing is the first step to controlling the spread of the virus and ensuring those who are positive receive treatment at the earliest and most effective stages," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "The INSTI Rapid Test is a great tool toward reaching these goals-it provides accurate results in just sixty seconds."

"AHF has used more than one million INSTI™ tests over the past four years in our programs and partnerships in Uganda, India, Mexico and Estonia," said Terri Ford, Chief of Global Policy and Advocacy. "We find it to be the best test out there today, and very popular with testing partners around the world. We are very glad that we can now also bring this testing technology home to people here in the U.S."

"Since September, we've been encouraging people to come out and get tested at free HIV testing events throughout the Southland and at the same time get a chance to enter to win a brand new convertible Fiat!" said Samantha Granberry, Director of Media and Production for AHF, who coordinated the media campaign for this event. "Today, as we ring in 2013, one lucky testing event participant or online entrant will have their name drawn and kick of the New Year with a new car!"

About AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 185,000 individuals in 28 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert): @aidshealthcare. For more information and testing and testing locations, visit www.freehivtest.net.

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