Sherman, Texas -- Thirty years ago the World Health Organization established World AIDS Day to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic. On Friday, December 1, Austin College student organization ACCares joins the observation by hosting its annual World AIDS Day at 7:00 p.m. in the small chapel of Wynne Chapel. Members of the public are invited to attend. 

A collection will be taken to support the Simbaradenga Newstart Children’s AIDS Orphanage in Zimbabwe, Africa, which ACCARES co-sponsors with the Callie Clinic, an HIV/AIDS service organization in Sherman, Texas. ACCares regularly raises funds for children in Africa who are orphaned by AIDS. 

ACCares members also participate in a number of educational efforts throughout the year to inform students about HIV and AIDS. The group hosts an AIDS Quilt Day each spring. 

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.