FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – In recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will partner with Mount Olive Development Corporation in Fort Lauderdale to present the Keep the Promise (KTP) Concert and March to create greater awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS in Broward and Miami- Dade counties and encourage the community to answer the “call to action” in addressing the rising HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The concert and march will kick off Tuesday, February 7 at 6 p.m. with a short march from New Hope Baptist Church, located at 1321 NW 6 Street, to New Mt. Olive Baptist Church, located at 400 NW 9 Avenue. It will be followed by a moderated community conversation on how stigma and judgment encourage the spread of HIV/AIDS and the role of the faith community in fighting the epidemic.

Award-winning gospel artists Yolanda Adams and Erica Campbell of gospel duo Mary Mary will perform live following the discussion. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required at usakeepthepromise.org.

Marchers will begin gathering at 5:30 p.m. at New Mt. Olive Baptist Church; shuttles will be provided to the beginning of the march at New Hope Baptist Church. Space is limited for the concert and march participants will be given priority seating.

According to most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), African-Americans account for 12% of the U.S. population, but account for 45% of new HIV cases across the United States.

Florida ranks number one in the nation of newly diagnosed HIV cases with Miami/Dade and Broward counties ranking top in the state of newly diagnosed HIV cases. “The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to have devastating impact on the South Florida community and specifically among African-Americans,” said Michael Kahane, AHF Southern Bureau Chief.

“We are pleased to continue our partnership with Mount Olive Development Corporation in presenting the Keep the Promise Concert and March on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day to serve as a potent reminder to our local leaders and neighbors that the fight against HIV/AIDS continues. It’s essential that the faith community plays a critical and visible role in helping to reduce stigma and judgment towards those impacted by the disease.”

Created by AHF, the “Keep the Promise” (KTP) campaign brings together local and national advocates, along with spiritual and political leaders to remind elected officials and the community-at-large that the fight against HIV/AIDS and for other social justice issues is not yet won.

The Fort Lauderdale “Keep the Promise” is the eighth in a series of similar KTP events spearheaded by AHF since 2012, with the inaugural event in Washington, D.C., in July 2012, followed by KTP events in Atlanta (Nov. 2012); Brooklyn (April 2013), Cleveland (May 2013 and July 2016), Durban, South Africa (July 2016) and Los Angeles (Dec. 2016).

AHF is the largest global AIDS organization, currently providing medical care and/or services to over 605,000 individuals in 35 countries worldwide in the U.S., Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe.

To learn more about AHF, visit www.aidshealth.org.