Arthur Ashe, tennis champion and social activist, addressing the United Nations shortly before his death from AIDS, noted,
“All of us world citizens, Eastern and Western, developed and developing, regardless of ethnicity, nationality or geographic origin, must see AIDS as our problem. ….we must try and we must succeed, or our children and grandchildren will one day rightfully ask us why in the face of such a calamity we did not give our best efforts.…..What do we say to the millions of AIDS orphans?”
Today, more than 15 million African children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. Too often, ten-year-olds are forced to assume parental roles, caring for their younger siblings. These children need nourishment, education and medicine. And they deserve the wonders of childhood – not the harsh existence of life on the streets.
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Keenan Koff, age 17, struck by the devastation of the AIDS pandemic, and possessing a passion for community service, has established Sports AIDS Life as a charity drive in affiliation with the AMICUS FOR AIDS (www.amicusforaids.org), public outreach of the Human Futures Foundation's flagship program, GLOBAL CONSORTIUM FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY (www.global-consortium.org).
Sports AIDS Life provides funds for basic educational tools, medicines and sports equipment to children orphaned by AIDS. Additionally, a portion of the funds raised will go to support research of an innovative HIV immunotherapy aimed at keeping alive HIV infected parents so that the number of potential HIV associated orphans in the future may be reduced.
Keenan’s vision is to foster the health, education, and the joy that comes from participation in sports.
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