positive focus Winter 2011
www.stapinc.org
Serving Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga & Tompkins Counties
Cause for Celebration Mother Nature tried to foil our plans with a winter storm, but the annual Cause for Celebration went on with over 150 individuals in attendance. Elizabeth Bixler, Java Joe’s Café and PETCO were recognized for their contribution of time and resources to move the mission of the Southern Tier AIDS Program forward, to raise awareness of HIV in our community and to assure that quality services for persons living with HIV are available. Please feel free to patronize and thank our community partners for their generous commitment.
Elizabeth Bixler Elizabeth Bixler personifies the idea that one should “Think Globally, Bike Locally. “ Elizabeth Bixler thought about doing the AIDS Ride for Life for many years and then one year discovered that she could do it and has now ridden in the Ride for the past 6 years! Although her fundraising minimum has been between $300 and $500, she has averaged more than 10 times that amount each
year! When Elizabeth first began fund raising for the AIDS Ride, she began by hand writing 150 letters asking for donations. Although she now uses a typewritten letter, she personalizes them and makes sure to talk about AIDS as a global epidemic while plugging in NY State statistics to bring home the message of what STAP does. We honor Elizabeth, for thinking globally and biking locally, and by extension, for contributing to the Southern Tier AIDS Program’s ability to prevent new HIV infections and care for people who are HIV positive. continued on page 5
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