Local Pennsylvania Women to Climb Kilimanjaro for Kids with AIDS

Harrisburg, PA, February 19, 2011 --(PR.com)-- From October 1 to October 12, 2011 fourteen women will climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro for a great cause. Of those fourteen women, ten of them are from South Central Pennsylvania.

In cooperation with the American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA), these women have accepted this challenge in an effort to raise funds for children who are infected or affected by the HIV/AIDS virus in Africa. AFCA is a Pennsylvania based charity that dedicates its work to ensuring the children in Africa receive the treatment and support necessary to live a healthy life.

Just $1.00 provides a full day of life-saving medicine, including anti-retroviral medicine, antibiotics, chemotherapy and other medication, for an HIV+ child, his/her HIV+ guardian or an HIV+ pregnant woman. $7.00 provides six months of twice-daily antibiotics to an HIV+ child, holding full-blown AIDS at bay. $10.00 provides a child with a month of nutritional supplement made of oats, powdered milk and multi-vitamins, which allows children to gain the weight they need in order to handle the strong and antibiotics medicine they take. $75.00 provides a year worth of medicine to combat infections particular to children with HIV, such as pneumonia, cancer, malaria, and thrush.

HIV/AIDS remains a prevalent problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 1,000 children die in sub-Saharan Africa every day due to the lack of access to treatment. However, early detection and treatment would prevent transmission and change this statistic. Many children rely on the work being done by organizations like AFCA and the funds raised by their volunteers.

The Pennsylvania women involved in the climb are Pilar Parry (Carlisle), Claudine Jones (Carlisle), Lori Fischer (Grantville), Jess Dower (Reading), Colleen Agliotta (Lebanon), Andrea Agliotta (Lebanon), Stephanie Warlow (Lebanon), Michelle Henry (Lebanon), Tanya Weaver (Director AFCA, Harrisburg) and Stephanie Hewitson (Harrisburg).

To find out more information about the climb, AFCA or how you can join a Climb Up Kilimanjaro team, please visit www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com or www.AFCAids.org.

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