Latino AIDS Group To Honor Anderson Cooper
New York – Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN’s weeknight Anderson Cooper 360, will receive the 2011 Compañero Award on May 10th at the Latino Commission on AIDS’s annual fundraising gala Cielo Latino, the Latino Commission on AIDS announced today.
The renowned award, created by the Latino Commission to recognize leaders outside of the Latino community, who, through their efforts, have contributed to improving the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS, promote awareness, education and prevention opportunities in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, will be presented by Guillermo Chacon, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS.
“Through his often times provocative approach to exposing injustices in communities near and far, Anderson Cooper has brought national attention to the AIDS crisis in the United States, said Chacon. “Because of his determination and dedication to “unmasking” the various issues related to the AIDS epidemic, the Latino Commission is proud to present Anderson with this honor and have him reaffirm his commitment to raised awareness and actions to attain healthy communities.”
The awards, hosted by NBC’s Tony Llamas, will consist of a cocktail reception and silent auctionfollowed by the awards presentation and dinner. Live entertainment following dinner will be provided by DJ Henry Knowles and the Grammy-nominated salsa band the New Swing Sextet.
Cielo Latino is the largest annual national fundraiser for our community in its fight against AIDS. The money raised each year allows the Commission to continue to provide critical services to thousands through our programs and initiatives and millions more through our social marketing education, awareness, outreach, and treatment education campaigns. This year's theme - Unmask AIDS- speaks to critical co-morbidity health issues, along with our efforts to combat stigma and isolation, and in particular to highlight the harsh reality of the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS faced by some of our most vulnerable populations.
