UPDATE 2/15 | In an email sent out today, Get Tested has provided a correction to information they previously provided in their announcement. Read below:
Dear Community Partners & Colleagues,
At our Annual Update last Thursday, we were proud to recap the significant progress the Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign has made so far – and we thank you for all of your contributions to this success!
We also shared announcements related to upcoming activities in 2016. Among these was an announcement that Goldenvoice, the producers of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, had invited us to provide free and confidential HIV testing at the medical services area at the festival. Since then we have learned that the actual invitation is to participate in a different event: the Coachella Valley Expedition that is produced by Goldenvoice and California Careforce. The Coachella Valley Expedition is an outstanding annual healthcare event that assists thousands of individuals to receive needed medical, dental, and vision care at no cost, and Get Tested Coachella Valley is both excited and honored to participate. Thank you for noting this correction.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership as we move ahead to make 2016 our best year yet!
You’re at Coachella, and have an hour between sets. The sun is beating down on your neck, you can feel the bass emanating all the way from the Sahara Tent, and flower-veiled attendees are passing by you in flocks. With so much time on your hands before your next performance, you could easily spend it by going to fill up your water bottle, trying the fabled crab-topped garlic fries, or catching some shade underneath the towering pieces of art. But why be part of the herd, when you could instead get tested for HIV on the polo grounds for free?!
This year, the fantasy will finally become a reality as organization Get Tested Coachella Valley touches down on site during the music festival’s two-weekend stop. Run by parent organization Desert AIDS Project, the team now operates among 100 dedicated partners. Last year, they ran over 26,456 HIV with 250 HIV-positive results in a $5 million effort to make every Coachella Valley occupant aware of their status. The disease has claimed about 39 million lives, so it’s no joking matter.
CEO of the AIDS Project David Brinkman told the Desert Sun that being able to provide testing at Coachella Music Festival was something they’d hoped to accomplish ever since they began their work.
So, whether you’re curious as to your own health or just have some time to kill, take advantage of the opportunity and consider stopping by the Get Tested stations on the grounds this year.
Source: Desert Sun
