The Akron Pride Festival is bringing sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to the Summit County Courthouse this week. The quilt, which was started 30 years ago, includes the names of 96,000 people who have died from AIDS.
The disease has killed more than 700,000 people the U.S. and nearly 32 million people globally.
Cindy Christman is the Vice Chair of the Akron Pride Festival. She called the quilt a great symbol of LGBTQ history.
“It’s a great reminder of those that have been lost and also a reminder that a cure has still not been found.”
The entire quilt which began as a single three by six foot panel now consists of more than 49,000 panels and weighs 54 and a half tons.
The sections coming to Akron will be on display beginning tomorrow. Viewing hours are weekdays from 8 am till 4 pm. Summit County Court administrators and judges sponsored the costs of bringing the quilt to Akron.
Correction: This story has been changed to accurately reflect the number of people who have died from AIDS.