There were only 10 of these caps (pictured below) made, and you could get your hands on one of them!!! 
To be in with a chance, tell us what you’d do with a Staying Alive Grant… What kind of project would you set up in your community to make sure you really got the HIV/AIDS message out there?
Leave your response in the comments section below…
On Friday Travie will pick the best - and if yours is chosen, we’ll send the cap right over to ya…
Get thinking - and get creative!
Post to 
i would use the grant to set up a program to promote safe sex and hand out free condoms and pamplets. then i would use the money to pay for people to get HIV test done and help pay for the medicine some of the people have to take. nobody deserved to be uninformed against this epidemic. everyone should have a chance to stay alive.
well with that grant money i would try to organize an event at a local college / or block party to help spread more awareness about the disease. i’m an a recent alumini of high school and i live in Brooklyn, new york. apparently new york has the most cases of HIV/aids than any other city. i have a lot of friend throughout Brooklyn/Queens and it seems like more than half of my friends thinks it’s O.K to have sex without condoms in these times. in my opinion i think that most of them don’t think that with the people they are sleeping with that they can’t contact the disease, they approach the situation as if it is not a common factor in new york. This is why i would have an event for the you of new york. i would have a huge block party or an event at a college. i would have music and like a strong youthful speaker that can get on our level and help us make the change in our lives to not take chances these days. I would use the money to publicized it so that more teenagers and young adults would want to come; it wouldnt come off as a huge lecture instead it would be more fun and like something that everyone could enjoy and learn from. We would have a huge party however it would be a very organized party with guest speakers, we would have pamphlets on awareness, and more over it would be more on the teenager / younger adult perspective ;;because these days when adults approach us about hiv / aids and sex it goes in one ear and out the other. it’s as if we push it to the side that it would never happen to us. We need more speakers on our level and that can help give us a paradigm shift. I think that new york city teenagers would benefit from this. In my opinion everyone knows everyone in new york, word travel really fast; and if one person stands up to protect themselves during sex and be more aware, then they can spread the word. All in all we can create a huge difference in new york even if a small number leave changed from the place they can spread the word and make double the number of changed people. and so and so forth
I would set up a big fair and there would be food and games music and a talent show and all through out the fair people would learn about HIV / AIDS and at the end all who stayed would be able to go to a concert with Gym Class Heroes, Fall out Boy and others
If I got a Staying Alive Grant I would have free HIV/AIDS testing clinics around the country , I would have like a celebrity with the disease go around and talk about it to different people. I would have people tell about their lives with HIV/AIDS and about safe sex. There would be more sex education classes showing pictures of what it does to you , and famous celebrities with the disease .
^^ talking about what it did to them ;; Supposed to be with my first comment . 8p
I would like to help young single mothers get more of a chance to be able to support themselves and their children.
with the grant put more sex ed classes in schools and have a pep rallies sort of things around the community to educate people about the dangers of unprotected sex, the ways to get STD’s and ways to prevent STD’s/teenage pregnancy and inform them that anyone can get and no one is immune. also id have free condoms, pamphlets on ways of HIV/AIDS prevention and a donation box that all prosedes would go to a HIV/AIDS research group to help find a cure at the rally. also id have little HIV/AIDS testing centers if possible at the rally for anyone who wants to be tested. also id put thousands of flyers with information about HIV/AIDS to inform people all over the country and with websites if they wanted to know more and the different ways to get tested if they are afraid of needles or what not. and id set up groups in all over the world that go to different parts of their city for kids the already have and STD to let them know they arent alone and to inform others about it and to show that you dont have to look all sickly and the signs may not show for years.
With a grant, I would construct a mock living environment of some of the most AIDS stricken places in the world, South Africa and Nigeria. These mock “villages” would be composed of acting crews closely resembling such regions with authentic shelters and cultures, with the actors and actresses demonstrating the effects of the ailment - a weakened immune system, deformities and depressed states. These “villages” would be set up in communities around my home so that passer-byers and observers would witness the actuality of AIDS. Beside the “village” would be a station set up with information and condoms to distribute. Atop the station would be the slogan “These tools can’t help us anymore” referring to the village’s lack of use from the distributed tools since they’re already AIDS ridden.
Hi I’m only 16 yrs old but if I win this I would do every thing I can to let the people of Las Vegas be aware of AIDS/HIV. I would go to the casinos and try to convince them to let me make a stand for the awareness of AID/HIV. We would have booklets to let people know about this horrible disease and free AIDS/HIV testing. We would teach them how to prevent this disease of spreading and that they shouldn’t be afraid of people who do have the disease. I would also try to spread it around my High School and my near by Recreation Center. Thank You for time.
This what i would do if i won a staying alive grant:
I would work with a local std testing station to tell people
about safe sex practices and/or abistinence and have them give free testing. I would also get a public speaker to come and talk about teen pregnancies.Another thing i would do is work with trojan to hand out free condoms. and if i could i would bring travis mccoy to talk about what he saw on his staying alive trip and how it changed him.
One last thing i would do is bring someone who went on a similar trip like travis to talk about there own experience.
I would definately hold a festival. Here in Milwaukee were all about fests and i’m sure it would get the message out, in my community at least. With the summerfest grounds right there, there would be more than enough room. We could have HIV/Aids testing and information booths everywhere. With all the stages it would be great for fundraising too. Maybe get some bands to do a benefit show. With the grant it’d be possible, and very successful.
I wouldn’t actually be able to do much with the “Community” I have cuz a lot of people around here are Ignorant and Stubborn, But I still would try my best to set up a good enough project to keep the Youth in the “Know”
Something like a booth, like a Lemonade stand lol =]
Stop by grab a book of some lil information, maybe actaully make it a Business, and make some Appointments to get Everyone Educated in Protection, & learn more about what HIV actually is/means/and can do to you and/or what you would be living with.. Sorry having a bit of trouble Explaining myself..
The Youth is Our Future, we Must Teach them for the Best!!..
.Michael.
if i was given the chance to do so i would…
-teach people the basis of this thing called hiv/aids letting them see how it effects them, what exactly it targets in your body such as the immune system.
-prevention little things can help protect you.
-i would set up testing sites within my community for people to get tested at no cost
-speak to the youth!!!! teenagers especially..getting guest living with it and people who where has or had a loved one with it
-i would also do a rally that would combine all of these and set up a benefits concert
I know alot of people in my life who have become victims to HIV/AIDS and this has always been something that I have wanted to do. My ideas would be to start up a program that would bring information about HIV/AIDS to the schools in new and personal ways such as music festivals with local groups and plays so that people could really get an emotional feel for what the virus truly does and how it affects not only the infected by those around them. I would also petition to create a new clinic in my area’s downtown so that there is a centralized location where people can get tested and get free protection. Also, I would like to hold educational sessions for students to go and learn about the disease and how it is spread, which is not only through sexual intercourse. I would partially use the grant to support local groups who specialize in outreach in the surrounding metro area.
I’d create a line of clothing that promotes safe sex and a drug free existence. The clothing will mimic the lastest fashions, but have a positive messages with the coolest designs. Get the local hip hop, skateboard, tattoo shops, and the health center together and have a fashion show to promote awareness for the HIV/AIDS cause. The age of children who are sexually active and experimenting with drugs is getting lower every year. I feel those are great starting points/targets in my community to start at.
I feel that the best way to get a message across is to witness the effects first hand almost as if you are experiencing it yourself. I would have a program that places people with an individual living with HIV/AIDS for a full 24 hrs if possible or at least a whole day so they could see what they go through on a daily basis. It would be almost as if they were living with the disease themselves. Every experience would be felt be the program attendee.
If i received a grant like this i’d definitely set up a HUGE weekend-long festival right on the boardwalk. It would be all about HIV/Aids. But there would be prizes and music there too, to get peoples attention. I’d make all kinds of hand-outs, like posters to hang around schools saying cool quotes about what can cause Aids. There would be condoms and birth control pills there. Then each day there would be a little show where someone would talk about sex and diseases, as well as a few people who have HIV/Aids to tell their story. Then there would be a table where you can either sign up to be in a HIV/Aids prevention program or sign a pledge saying you’ll be careful when it comes to sex or you’ll wait until marriage.
First, and for most I think you have done a wonderful job with the Staying Alive campaign, and its great how you took the time out of your schedule to do some good and spread the word on a very important issue. I’m seventeen years old, and for as long as I can remember its always been a goal of mine to help do some good in any way that I can, having a grant from Staying Alive would give me that opportunity. There are schools in my area, with the top STD ratings, and alot of teens fail to realize how serious this is. I would start a teen awareness center in my community, I wouldn’t make it meant to be all serious, but just a fun enviroment that can also give you alot of information. I would have speakers, who have personally been effected by AIDS come speak to teens, and help them to understand the importance of being safe. I would take a team to schools to have rallys, and setup concerts and such things to get people interested. I know my ideas aren’t the best, but its a start. Good Job Travie, I love you as an artist and I appreciate you even more with your efforts in the Staying Alive Campaign, you’re amazing. I know this was about how to help in my community, but after all I see on tv and such, about how it is over in Africa, I would love to go there and help out. It would be so amazing to me to make a difference in so many different peoples lives, providing them with a foundation and hope.
with the staying alive grant i would really push the safe sex movement to decrease the hiv/aids cases. especially because i live right next to a cal state campus it would be easy for me to get the word out about safe sex and not only because the partys and alcohol are non stop but because im around these college kids all day i could make original t shirts to promte “staying alive” as well as throw a party and hand out condoms with the beer just to show how serious the problem really is! i know what it feels like to lose someone to a disease and i know its not anything that anyone needs to go through and i would do all i could get peoples attention!
If I was blessed with the Staying Alive Grant, I would organize a local show for people of all ages. Their would be music, food, and public speaking on how easily aids is spreaded and how it could be prevented. I would try and contact people who have actually contracted HIV/AIDS, and let them speak on living with the disease. The purpose wouldn’t be to scare people, but it would be to inform people of the severity of unprotected sex. I would really like to do something like that for my community. Thank you guys for this opportunity.
Being that HIV/AIDs is a big killer and causes problems for adults and youth, I would target the younger generations and get started there. My teaching method would be a two man idea. One man one woman, they would set up a class that the target generation would be interested. With the underlying message that the Idea of AID’s can be see in a comical setting. Jokes would be told as the presenters get involved and feel out the crowd, and the crowd begins to feel like they know them, making sure to bring UP the SEX topic and SAFE SEX topic DO’s and DON’ts. THe event would start to slow down to the end to an almost uncomfortable feeling when the two improvise’s get into some sort of sketch that almost robs the audience of that warm comfortable feeling of comedy into the drama setting. The whole time the Duo would still be able to converse with the audience and ask for “what would you say here” kinda things. THen they would act out that scene and eventually it would catch on and more and more people would come for the comedy but it the long run all of em would walk away with a tad bit of knowledge.
i would hold a festavil, getting as many bands, big or small to come. it would be an all day festavil, costing a small amount (somthing like $5). all around the festavil would be booths set up, teaching about AIDS and HIV. giving out information, coupons for a free test, or condoms. all benefits from the concert would go to Aids/HIV research. it would be and all day event. accepting people all day. food and drink will be sold, along with AIDS awarness boothes. I think that this concert would be extremly important to my community, making the badness of AIDS and HIV aware, and teaches young kids how to prevent it.
Honestly, I cannot say for sure if this would work. It is worth a shot anyway.
With a grant to spread awarness in my community, I would first, go back to the town I graduated from. Its a military community and is home to many teens from all over the world and United States. From that point, a after school/weekend program would be established where the teens can gather. That allows for trust to be built up and the teens to feel comfortable with the people who would be willing and caring enough to work with them. At that point, groups would be established, both for the ones who are positive, those who think they might be and the curious about the virus. Because it is in a trust-based envrioment, they will be more willing to listen and hear answers about what they are facing. Along with the groups, phamplets would be made with the statistics of the virus and those infected. The program would be able to cater to the whole community thorough larger groups, possibly a hotline, and the media. By starting with the teens the orginazation will be able to affect the whole community. The other teens will teach the younger adn the parents will learn from their children. Its similar to the ripple effect.
That’s my idea of how to use a grant to establish awareness in a community.
Every post up here is dead on and everyone has some great ideas, however instead of a benefit concert for AIDS, I would love to see artistic abilities of those living with the disease. We could have designers (clothing, bags, shoes), artists (graffiti, sculpture, etc), singers, poets, dancers and rappers. Not only is it important to spread awareness to young people by opening more clinics and having more sex ed classes, its important to showcase people LIVING with this disease. This will help put a face on the disease as well as help those struggling with the disease have an outlet for their talent and obstacles. I would use the grant for this purpose as well as housing for people with AIDs, counseling for adults and children struggling with the disease, medical assistance for low income people struggling to recieve adequate medical help and a condom/sex ed campaign.
Sidenote: Travie, your not only good looking, your an amazing person. I respect your artistic talent and your willingness to give back which is lacking in many celebrities. The sidenote is not for the hat but so that you know your female fans see more than a pretty face.
The inner city area of Denver just like any other state’s inner city. The people, particularly the youth identifies mostly to famous musicians and other public figures.
They are told time and time again to not engage in trouble, violence, and careless actions. But it seems they continue to follow what the media portrays; careless sex is not an exception.
What I would do is use the grant to send at least two, influential public figures to schools and other community oriented area’s for the youth. One a MALE figure and another a FEMALE figure, each educating young men and women on the dangers of unprotected sex and use of protection.
By educating both parties not just a single sex, our youth would cooperatively be proactive in making the right decisions down the road. Think about it, if your favorite BAND or EMCEE took pride in being responsible and practicing safe HIV prevention, the pressures of doing whats “COOL” would virtually eliminate and they would think using condoms is “COOL”, I know I would. Some of these influential, “hip” people don’t realize how powerful their influence really is; its a shame they can’t all recognize it and use it for good.
Big up!
If I Were To Get A Grant, I’d Hold A Benefit Concert In My Community. Everyone Would Be Welcome To Come. I’d Have Signed And Unsigned Bands And Artists. Each Band Or Artist Would Be Able To Speak Their Own Words On What They Feel About HIV/AIDS And What We Can Do To Prevent It. Due To The Fact That The Majority Of People Who Contract HIV/AIDS Are Part Of The Younger Community, I’d Have Stands Where Anyone Could Go To And Talk And Join Support Groups, Find A Mentor, And Learn More About HIV/AIDS And What They Can Due To Prevent Contracting And Spreading It. I’d Make Sure That We Show Them We Are Here To Help And Want To Help. There Would Be Stands Where You Can Pick Up Informational Pamplets And Also Condoms For Both Males And Females And Also There Would Be Pamplets About The Bands And Artists. Not Only Will It Benefit For The HIV/AIDS/GAY Community, The Bands And Artists Will Be Benefitted Also. The Main Thing About The Benefit Will Be To Spread Awareness And Also Have Everyone Enjoy Themselves And Have A Great Time. HIV/AIDS Prevention Is Something I’m Really And Truly Into Helping Get Around. Lets Spread The Information, Not The Disease! =)
If I was to win one of the grants i would promote Hiv/Aids awareness in schools. I would join together with the public schools to advertise safe sex and help promote teen testing to prevent the spread of Aids/Hiv. We could offer free testing while we had the funds to do so, hand out boy condoms and girl condoms so there is no reason not to wear a condom. Educating students in high school seems the best way to go because it’s a safe age for both parents and students. although it would be great to teach at the middle school age parents feel it’s inappropriate and college students feel they have heard it all before. This in my community would promote safe sex dramasticly and hopefully prevent some of the teen pregnancies as well as the spread of Hiv/Aids in my community. Hopefully if my idea would be a success I could branch out and spread my idea in other communities and then the U.S. and then the world could be effected by my plan.
I believe that through any kind of art you can learn and have a sense of community. With a grant, I would put together a dance performance. As a dancer myself for 17 years, I have seen the joy and sense of togetherness it creates. Not only would I have studio dancers perform, but also street dancers, because some dancers with no formal training at all are better and have more passion than those with training. I would make sure that all the dances appealed to a different group of the community. After the performance, I would have a local band play a few songs. This would hopefully draw in a bigger crowd as well as support local music. After that I would have a talk on the seriousness of HIV/AIDS. I wouldn’t make it long. Just too the point. I would have the band play more afterwards and have free HIV/AIDS testing going on. I would offer free dance classes to anyone who wanted to learn as a way of outreaching to the community. Hopefully this would not only teach teens, children, and adults about AIDS/HIV, but it would also bring them together.
With the Staying Alive Grant, I would definately use it to get some much needed knowledge about HIV/AIDS to the rural communties in the Northern Territory, Australia.(My hometown.)
I’d do this so that I could get HIV protection knowledge out to indigenous communities.
I’d work to set up community health centres in the rural area. I’d also use the grant to help interested people of Aboriginal descent get training to help them teach others in their communities about HIV and AIDS.
With A Staying Alive Grant, I Would Gather Up All My Closes Friends And Rent A Van…Got To All The Elementary Schools; Middle Schools; And High Schools In California (Because I’m Pretty Sure My Parents Wouldn’t Let Me Go Out Of California) And Spread The New About HIV/AIDS…But It Wouldn’t Be Like Everyone Else With The Speeches And Lectures. It Would Be More Interactive With The Audience, I Would Also Find A Way To Make It Understandable For The Elementary School Students. I Would Give Out Booklets To The Middle/High School Students That Are Appealing To The Eye…That When They Look At It They’re Like “Wow What Is This About??” I Also Wouldn’t Be About All The Dangers, It Would Also Be About How To Deal With If You Do End Up With HIV/AIDS So That Our Generation Knows That They Have Help With What They’re Going Through.
I am a former juvenile probation officer and since most new HIV cases are young people under the age of 21, I would set up a program in which kids locked up in juvenile detention centers would get the proper education they need to protect themselves from the virus. The youth need to know that HIV isn’t just a Gay disease and that anyone can get it if they are not properly educated. The kids in these facilities have nothing but time on their hands and would benefit from sex ed classes while they are locked up. Some of them are already HIV positive or have children. I believe educational programs could help prevent that.
with the grant i would create a campaign around the nation. i would create 1. a bus to travel to close cities and have on the spot testing for anyone and free materials to keep kids informed. 2. i would create a airplane that would travel to other places that are far and have materials put onto a van and travel to places that dont even have a chance of getting tested. this place that i would help would be africa because of the high rate of HIV/AIDS there. but for my community i would open many different clinics that are open almost for 24 hrs a day because people that are worried, can get tested anytime. also with this grant, why not use it and put it into more study on HIV/AIDS so that we can actually cure it. why only prevent it? why cant we have the medicine to actually remove this.
What would I do with a Staying Alive Grant? I would put the funds into the hands of a reputable non-profit organization which already deals with HIV/Aids awareness and tell them to focus on severe areas. There’s not much I can do with it. I’m just an ordinary dude who wants to see some needed change around here. Peace.
FIRST: Send a message out about a rally- THEN: I would walk around naked (okay okay 1/2 nudie) and pass out condoms. Any guy that would address me I would tell him that he ought to recognize that no matter how tempting any beautiful female is that HIV and STDs are real and then EDUCATE! hopefully have one of those blood buses would be behind me so I could refer them to get themselves tested. I mean they say sex sells-grab there attention!
One of the easiest ways to reach the mainstream and teach the masses on important issues like this is not actually through schools and stuff like that. One thing I’ve noticed as a graduate in my times at school is that hardly anyone payed much attention to the assemblys about that stuff.
I think the best way to reach people and get the message out that we need to act against HIV as well as other STI’s is to bring attention to the problem through the media.
With this grant, I would try to run a solid local, and possibly national, ad campaign that can actually relate to teens and young adults that are sexually active. I would try to bring in people that suffer from HIV and other diseases to be the center of the ad campaign and have them speak from experience. People need to know how important it is to practice safe sex. By using artistry and statistics, I could show people how big of a problem this is and maybe make them think a little more.
If any money is left over from the ad campaign, I would also try to do something to help the doctors and scientists responsible for trying to find a cure for AIDS.
One day this will be a miniscule problem that can be cured but until then, it’s up to us to fight and bring awareness to the masses.
with the grant money i would set up 2 week sex ed classes in High School and college areas. The class will cover the basics of AIDS and other STD”s. I would show them pictures of the virus and how it effects the body. I would also bring in guest with the virus to speak in the classes. At the end of the two week classes i would award the class with a AIDS awareness party. This party will include guest speakers, games,and even free condoms. this event will be open to the public hosted by the sex ed class.
I live in Denver, CO and the music scene here is really amazing. Music is a powerful force that inspires and moves the masses. As a musician and music student myself I would put together and organize a show of local bands, that focuses on raising awarness of HIV/AIDS not only for the local community but also worldwide. Of course condoms would be given out and information on safe sex would be made available. Donations would be taken and given to charites to help aid in the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
growing up in the hood i think the best thing for my neighboorhood would be a big community center where teen, chirldren, parents and everyone can come to enjoy a varity of activities. THis woule keep teens out the street, parents, and the other comunity memeber involved in one thing. in this center there should be sex-ed classes, day care centers and a place some for unfortunate kids to call home. we cant give them luxury but we can give them a little piece of home.
I’d create a program similar to “Every 15 Minutes”, which was a program at my school that taught the dangers of drunk driving, where they had students taken out of class by Death, and they walked around the school for the week in dead make up; no one was allowed to talk to them. I’d go back to my high school and administer the program, but with the history of aids and the disease and why you should always practice safe sex. I’d hand out condoms, as well as pamphlets on information about HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. I feel like that’d be the only way to get the point across would be to directly influence/inform by way of a sort of scared-straight tactic.
With the stay alive grant I would throw a huge mesh of the arts event. That would have live and premade art displayed with the topic of HIV/aids awareness in mind. These will be auctioned off 60% of earnings going to the save-a-life and stay alive fondations and the other forty going to throwing the event the following year. Also bringing in local musicians to play and having those effect or conflicted with this monsterous killer speak in between sets. I have brochures about safe sex, STDs, clinic locations and free condoms. Id make sure my community leaves inspired to get tested, always know their status and the status of their partners, and have a good time doing it. All the while takeing donations for save-a-life and stay alive two fondations that help HIV/aids patience over in Africa. We can make a difference and it starts in ourselves and our communities.
first i would get my buddies together to plan a big show dancers, live music. festivities of all kinds. and all week long we would travel Houston and set up hiv/aids booths were all people of all ages esp those between the ages of 15 to 30 could be tested and do like the radio stations out here and give tickets to all that get tested i would bands, groups. and artist of all genres out to celebrate the movement, and hopefully not just connect with the people but bring awareness to hiv/aids. And maybe Gym Class Heroes would headline. Even if i dont receive this hat, tho u know i would rep for my boy travie, i hope maybe u could pass this along to some of your celeb friends and have them set this up in their hometowns. One Love “D.G.”
If I was given a Staying Alive Grant, I would use most of the money to organize a seminar tour that goes to high schools in the hopes to aware teenagers of the importantce of knowing about the dangers of HIV. This tour would be an one all-day seminar (if allowed during school calendar) that would include two speakers: an adult speaker to speak to the teenagers about HIV/AIDS. I would also like to have a teenager speak to their fellow teenagers about how HIV/AIDS may have affected them and how important it is to stay aware of the dangers of it. There would be an Q % A portion of this program to ask the speakers any questions they would have to these two speakers about HIV/AIDS. During this seminar, I would also like to have a viewing of a movie or feature that is about HIV/AIDS (such as Pedro or the upcoming documentary the Staying Alive Foundation has with Travis). Then I would have teenagers break into groups and discuss: what they thought about the films, their own thoughts or experiences with HIV/AIDS, etc. After this discussion period, I would like to have a section of the seminar that shows the statictics of how many people are infected with HIV/AIDS and to really show teenagers how important it is to be aware of it. Finally, to end the seminar, I would like to have a minature sex ed. class to educate teenagers about sex and how to protect themselves. I would make imformational pamplets about HIV/AIDS and how to help spread the awareness for HIV/AIDS. The rest of the money would go to having free condoms given out at these seminars and also to send free comdoms to different organizations that are in different countries that spread awareness at HIV/AIDS.
I would hold an event benefiting HIV/AIDS that everyone in my community could enjoy, like a concert, or a skating event. I would make pamplets telling about signs of HIV/AIDS, how to prevent it, places to get yourself tested and let people know that both partners should get tested before they engage in anything sexual. I would go to my local clinic to see if I could have condoms donated and pass them out. There would be activities related with HIV/AIDS like booths with lessons on prevention, or maybe even people who have the virus could come out and speak words of advice. I remember watching a movie about a young woman who had sex and decided not to use a condom and contrated HIV. Maybe we could have a screening of the movie, maybe even at my local theather. Everything going on at the festival would be about knowing HIV/AIDS and prevention methods. This would be the most important topic, along with signs of HIV. I would charge maybe even a small fee for people to get in, and with the money raised, I could donate it to an organization like GYT (get yourself tested) or something, and make sure that people across the country could know about HIV/AIDS. Since we have announcements on the TV at school, I could convince my teachers to let me come on and tell everyone about the event, and give them some facts about HIV/AIDS. Sex among teenagers seems to be growing in my community, and I’m sure across the country, and HIV/AIDS is very serious. I could go to places in my community that are frequently visited and pass out pamplets, hang up posters with facts, talk with people who have questions. I would do any possible thing I could think of to get the word out about HIV/AIDS. I would make sure that this idea of prevention will never fade from my community, and will always be there, in some way, with facts and helping hands. SInce I am a drummer in my schools band, we could easily have a concert and charge a small ee to get it, and donate it to a nonprofit organazation for HIV/AIDS. I know that many parents and people would come, and we could somehow link this concert with HIV/AIDS, maybe even have a theatrical vibe, and we could somehow tell a story.
If i were to get a staying alive grant i would gather some of the most popular musicians of our time (travis of coarse would be first on the list} to put together an album specifiacally written inorder to open the eyes of young people . also the album would feature a huge song with all the artists working together. Also i would found a tour through many of the U.S high schools arranging local speakers from each particular region.
sorry its late and im no where near as articulate as i would like to be but i hope you guys generally understand my vision.
If I was to set up an HIV/AIDS program, I would create a program to where I would get the message out to the youth of today that HIV/AIDS is living, just because you get the disease doesn’t mean your life is over. I would get guest speakers to travel around the country to inform people of their life style and how even though they have the disease they are still living their life to the fullest. I would create a special program that can be involved in high school and college students involved in spreading the message of AIDS and the prevention and awareness. Also, as an athlete going to NC State, I would get an athletes program involved in the ACC to represent the program and increase awareness to sports fans.
Dear Travie,
If I was to recive a staying alive grant, honestly my mind would go crazy of all the things i could do with it to help my community. I live in shreveport, Louisiana and elementary kids, teenagers, and young adults all engage in the activities of sex, and thats a fact. I’m only a freashman and i kno way more about sex than i should, and i dont mean in a positive way either.
Kids where i come from dont understand all the consiquences that come along with the ‘COOL’ trend of having sex. I on the other hand decided to educate myself, since sex ed is more like a daycare… (where kids goof off and dont listen).
But having that grant would open up so many doors for my community. What i would do first is i would go to my church and start an HIV/AIDS awarness minestry, were I and my other church members would raise money to send to places that cant afford the medicine.
Then, Being the aspiring actress that i am, i would make a crew that would go around all over louisiana doing plays or skits at different schools that would make people aware of the dangers of sex, STDS, HIV/AIDS etc. and what they would risk without a condom, and also giving out free condoms of all sizes to everyone, including lady condoms as well.
I would also, get with local bands and have them do benefit concerts for HIV/AIDS awareness, to get the word out there to people that dont know and also once again (FREE CONDOMS)!!!!
I’d also have sidewalk visual and performing arts activites, free of charge. Were kids and anyone could dance and do art downtown for HIV/AIDS awareness, and have people of many ages that have or know alot about HIV/AIDS and STDS to explain HIV/AIDS and how to protect theirself and others and of corse (FREE CONDOMS)!!!!!
If i could i’d do commerials about HIV/AIDS awareness. I would start my own recreational center of HIV/AIDS awareness were kids and young adluts could come and have fun and learn more about this serious epidemic, and have sponsers that would give money and maybe even raise enough money for trips around the U.S and the world, to not only help our community but our world, and so much more!
To me it is important to give back and help those who cant help themselves, and as the children and the young adults, the world is ours and its up to us to make the world a better place, and not just with HIV/AIDS but with everything. WE ARE THE FUTURE
And even if you feel asthough this letter wasnt good enough for your contest, all i ask is that you read it and take something from it and give to your community what others lack. That will still be one step forward.
And as for that cool hat Travies wearing, I wasnt just writing this for the hat, its about something so much bigger than a hat, its our world, our everything…
And Travie i wish you much luck on your journey and i will keep you in my prayers…
God Bless,
Ariana
What would I do with a Staying Alive grant? I would probably organize a tour with a lot of people and groups who want to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. The younger generation (and I speak from being the younger generation) seems to me that they listen to what celebrities have to say and take their words to heart and definitely form their own opinions about the topic. At the tour, I would have a booth that would give out free stuff and inform about HIV/AIDS. I think the best way to inform the younger generations is with music, and if they hear that their favorite musicians are throwing a concert (possibly a free one) than they would definitely come out of the woodworks. And at the shows, I’d try to get celeb’s to come out and say some words in between sets to inform the kids and get it in their heads that HIV/AIDS could happen to anyone. Also, raffles could be done before hand for kids to get backstage passes and whatnot for them to also speak in between sets and inform their peers.
Of course, their are a lot of things that could be added and improved on this but that is the gist of what I’d do with a grant and I believe that it would work, because who doesn’t like free stuff?
If given a Staying Alive Grant, I’d feel it important to focus on educating the youth in my community. Kevin Fenton, the CDC’s Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, says, “About a third of new diagnoses” of HIV/AIDS occur in young people “aged less than 30 years”. I was really surprised by this fact because, though I knew that HIV/AIDS was an issue in the US, I never really knew how big of an issue it is here, especially among young people. I’m nineteen and know from talking to some of my peers about my newfound knowledge that they don’t know much about HIV/AIDS either. Therefore, I would start a program in various private and public junior high and high schools in my area that’s somewhat similar to D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). The program would focus on HIV/AIDS prevention education and would coincide with the school’s sex education classes. There would be an educated staff that would teach the class regularly (like the D.A.R.E officers) and doctors and experts on the subject of HIV/AIDS would be invited to come and speak to the kids. At the end of the program, there would be a huge fair and party thrown for the “graduates”. Free condoms and educational packets would be given out and proceeds from the fair’s events (game booths, carnival-themed rides, and party with local bands) would be given to the community’s Planned Parenthood and LGBT centers to further education on HIV/AIDS.
Coming from Botswana, one the worst hit countries in southern africa by hiv/aids and having been part of an anti aids awareness campaign back in high school, it starts with basics like sensitising rural communities in botswana about hiv/aids. Think how many people in the remoteness of the country do not have access to the mass media we the priviledged ones cannot live without,setting up some sort of rural community radio statio would be the first step towards this. When u look at the number of youth falling pregnant in these communities, it is a bit scary knowing that most of them are unaware of the dangers unprotected sex might bring with it, not that they do not have contraception/protection, the Botswana Gorvenment provides free condoms etc, even to rural health posts but not much can be said for hiv/aids in these communities…EDUCATING them would be a good way to spend any sort of grant!
Today, most people have heard of HIV / AIDS and know about how it’s transmitted. But maybe they do not know that HIV can not be completely avoided. Young people are at high risk of contracting HIV / AIDS. They play an important role in preventing the transmission of HIV and AIDS. The play today shows how important it’s for young people to protect themselves against this deadly disease. So first it’s necessary to inform the young people at school with sexual class! Make advertising on the magazine, on tv, everywhere! It’s important to educate the people! We can stop it! I think free condoms and free screening test will be better to the people! And I think the donations it’s necessary so people have to think about it ! More there will be donations more the research will advance !
Congratulations guys you do a really great job ! I lose someone in my family who had the HIV and I know how much that’s hurt ! THANK YOU for your help one day we gonna fight it and win !!!
All my support from Paris xoxo