Martin Mccullagh and Joe Rich are collecting on Queen St 2PM: World AIDS Day collectors remain out on the streets under their highly visible red balloons, sharing the "getting to zero" message and raising funds for people living with HIV. On Auckland's Queen St, Martin Mccullagh and Joe Rich have been shaking buckets since 7am and are in for the long-haul, planning to keep collecting until the effort ends later today. They say their red balloons are helping them engage with passers-by and share the World AIDS Day message. The pair have smiles on their faces and are clearly enjoying being part of the collection, however they say the excitement of filling a bucket with cash and coins is dampened a little every time they empty it and start again. The collection, which is taking place in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru and Invercargill, is the cornerstone of a variety of events ahead of World AIDS Day proper on 1 December. 'Getting to Zero,' this year's theme, focuses on three targets: zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS related deaths and zero discrimination. The funds raised today are to be split between the New Zealand AIDS Foundation and the National Collective of People Living with HIV.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 25th November 2011 - 2:28pm