president clinton. if we could roll the video from the president. >> thank you for the honor of the national aids memorial grove's 2011 leadership recognition award. today we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first diagnosed case of aids. and the 20 anniversary of the founding of the grove. it is hard to believe three decades has passed since the very first cases of aids were reported to the cdc. in san francisco, when few others were taking notice, a small group of dedicated individuals responded to aids before anyone else. from the severed, the san francisco model of care and treatment of aids was born. 10 years later, another group of individuals created a place where people together to express their collective grief for a living memorial. today we know this place simply as the growth of for 20 years now, and every third saturday,

volunteers have come to the growth to pay tribute to volunteers. the work continues with the printer but didn't today of the restored 100-year-old victorian waterfall. to date -- the pain our nation has felt from the aids epidemic is present. i find the bill that would forever designate the robust this country's official in tomorrow. it was a widow (never forget the want -- the loved ones we lost in that we continue to honor their legacy by caring for the sick and committing to sell the crisis. those are glad that i was able to make and my administration was able to make positive efforts to combat the epidemic and grateful that i have been able to continue this work for my foundation. i am also very grateful for all of you here. many of you have led these efforts since the very beginning. your commitment has been nothing short of heroic, and i thank each and everyone of you for your continued work and your

continued commitment, not only here at the growth, but in this long battle we continue to fight against aids. we're going to win it, you know, sooner or later. in the meanwhile, every single day more people are living and living well because of the things you have done. thank you for that, and god bless you. [applause] >> it is december 1 every year that reminds me why i have remained a member of the board of directors of this glorious place and this wonderful organization for 12 years. i am marsha rolston, and it is my honor not to move us from the

very right full-time of looking back to honor and memorialized those who we have lost and those who continue to suffer. to the portion of our program that looks forward with hope and excitement about the future. and though i will lead us to do that today, it is a particularly hard task for me. because marg and i lost a very precious and young person this year in a tragic accident. she was the light of our lives and the closest thing, i suspect, that we will ever have to a daughter. i must tell you that i have spent the last seven months looking back, but i am ready to

do something different. and i hope you will move with me today to looking forward. we are honoring four wonderful youth and scholars in our youth program today. if we are to keep this amazing memorial alive into the future, we must energize the next generation to understand the ways that hiv/aids in such a living memorial as this does indeed touched their lives, too. this is the third year of our scholarship program, and it continues to grow. it has become truly national with submissions of not only from across california by from as far away as hawaii, indiana, and new york. we are especially proud it this year that one of our former

winners who is currently attending nyu acted as one of our judges on our panel of decision makers. the program is intended to benefit the scholars, and it is also intended to remind -- we, the current custodians of this irreplaceable memorial, that we must communicate to our young people the ideals and responsibilities that they must take up when we are no longer able. hiv/aids rages on. and there is as relevant a need today to stop its tragic spread as there ever was. this year, we are awarding three individual $1,000 scholarships and one two-year $2,000

scholarship. we are pleased to be a lot to off -- offer this new extended award scholarships to acknowledge the need to provide ongoing support to a student, so that they can not only start their education but finish their degrees. we also want to acknowledge the families of our winners today and how important they are to each of these wonderful young people. particularly, we have one of our winners whose family brought her all the way up from long beach, california, so thank you so much for that. [applause] and now, i would like to introduce our youth representative on the 2011 world aids day committee. >> thank you, marsha. hello, my name is lee said.

i attend mission high school, a sophomore. i am the is the representative for the aids memorial grove. i am very honored to be here. i will be reading a portion of our first scholarship winner's essay. hi, i am junior at frankfurt high school in frankfurt, indiana. my goal is to go to indiana university in bloomington and enter medicine. i want to help patients who do not have medical insurance. i would like to thank the national aids memorial grove for helping me to make that possible. in my essay, i wrote about how hiv/aids residence with me because they prevalent prob coma teenage girls get pregnant and arid risk of hiv/aids, since they do not use protection but also, teenagers in the community are not aware of the dangers of not knowing about their hiv status. many people can be safe and supported it they know their

status. i hope more support groups become available in my area, because there are many who need education and support. i am currently working with my school to organize a health fair to inform people about hiv. i would also like there to be hiv testing available said teenagers can know their status. thank you. and now, those are very proud to introduce mary martinez, our second winner from mission high school in san francisco. [applause] >> hello, i am a senior from mission high school here in san francisco. i expressed that last mother i took the test to graduate from mission high school. in this class, we learned about and hiv/aids. i was stunned whe they did not

talk about -- and they said it could be prevented from just using a condom. all schools should have a required class in regards to the special hiv/aids. i find it a logical that my high school does not have a class that provides this information. i want to think the national aids memorial grove for helping me become the first time my family to attend the university and providing new it greater awareness about how i am affected by hiv and aids. this scholarship will help me pay tuition, because i am not eligible for financial aid as an immigrant from guatemala. thank you. [applause] >> i would now like to

introduce nancy rodriguez, our third winner, from long beach, california. [applause] >> hello, good morning, everyone. is it a senior in high school in long beach, california. in my essay, i wrote that i connect with the memorial grove because my mother's friend was contracted with hiv. when she found out she was hiv- positive, she was shocked. she never expected to have hiv, because she was married and did nothing she was at risk. it is inspiring how she is using her experience. she educates women in mexico about hiv and aids. and how to prevent the transmission of the virus. the way she helps others is similar to the national aids memorial growth. by providing support to people

with hiv and aids. i have seen that people with hiv sometimes feel rejected, and lonely, and hopeless. like the national aids memorial grove, she nurtures people touched by aids through love and hope. i would like to add a the national aids memorial grove for helping me to be the first and my family to attend university. i am to become a lawyer in human rights, because my parents and i are immigrants, i do not qualify for federal aid and honors, nor can my parents afford tuition. thank you very much. have a good day. thank you. [applause] >> before i introduce our fourth winner, and want to let knowledge that three of our winners this year will be the first in their families to

attend university. [applause] our final winner of our new two- year scholarship award is stephanie zolaya from san francisco. [applause] >> ok, hello. i currently in 10 lowell high school in san francisco as a senior. i wrote that before us -- taking health class at school, i would not have been able to describe what hiv and aids are. i would not have had the slightest clue that hiv and aids can be transferred through sharing needles. this shows that people can be really clueless about how hiv and aids are contracted in transmitted without proper information. i remember reading "and the band played on" for school. it focuses on communities that were hit hardest by hiv and

aids. they began begging the government to fund research and to provide social services for those dying of aids. this a book many realize how serious hiv and aids czar. and relates to those struggling with hiv and aids. health class is at my school made me aware of the potential dangers and the means of preventing transmission. i would like to thank the national aids memorial grove for helping to achieve my dream of attending college. since those are also an immigrant from el salvador, i do not qualify for federal or state aid. this scholarship will also assist me to be the first one in my family to it did college. thank you for making this program possible. [cheers and applause]

[applause] >> that is our future. [cheers and applause]

thank you. my name is tomjenson. i am the co-chair of the national aids memorial grove board of directors could i am here to introduce yvette funder. but first, i am here to also invite you to join us after this event for warm soup. following dr. bishop flunder, i am inviting you to the circle of friends for the annual reading of the names that were engraved in 2011. after the reading of the names, we will make our way east to the circle of peace for the dedication of the newest and perhaps the oldest feature in

the growth, the falsls. [applause] martin, if you and john can talk with tears in your voice, i hope i can, too. i would like to take a moment while you are all gathered here to acknowledge and thank lisa and leroy for their tenacity and the engagement over the past year. in love and dedication to their late soul mate and partner francis mccormick. [applause] thank you. i want to take a personal moment

to thank our volunteers, the board of directors, my team for your dedication and generosity. to john cunningham and steve for your tireless and constant efforts. to ray good enough -- [applause] for his daily tending of this garden. and for your friendship. [applause] i would also like to thank my predecessor, marcia rolston, for teaching me, encouraging me and for believing in me. [applause]

finally, i would like to thank my outgoing chair, gina. [cheers and applause] i don't know where you are. for 13 years of service to the growtve. [applause] and for being my friend, a supporter, guide, and mentor. [applause] i will miss you. thank you all for being here, and thank you to our honorees. the legacy of san francisco and all those who have contributed to creating and maintaining this city's model response to the epidemic is one that inspires

and endures. while today is a time of remembrance, reflection, and appreciation of those who have died, those who are surviving, and those who are continuing in the fight against aids, i would like us to consider the future. this garden will seem quiet for the next few months as fewpulls in and rests. but it is only polling its energy inside, preparing for next year's growth. i encourage each of us to view the same in the coming weeks, to spend time within ourselves, to spend time with our loved ones, to spend time here. gather that energy inward,

knowing that we are ready to rededicate and recommit ourselves to action, to life. thank you all and to the cochairs of world aids day. a couple more announcements. tonight at 6:00 p.m. on kqed the world, the documentary "the grove" will be showing. 56 minutes long. it will be showing throughout the month of december, and it is showing on the nationwide market. also, if you have not already been there in this corner is the memory pavilion. i encourage you to drop in, see the faces of old friends, old lovers.

finally, at 6:30 p.m. tonight is a vigil at harvey milk plaza, and i encourage you all, on the 30th anniversary of aids, to head to the castro and be there with me. thank you all very much for being here. with that, please welcome -- help me welcome bishop yvette flender. [applause] >> good afternoon did not want the sisters of perpetual indulgence to know that i have been, for 30 years, the bishop of perpetual frustration. [laughter] important. that we bring it into this

virus. and because the real enemy for so many years has been a shame and guilt and religion. and i want to say that as a practitioner of the faith, that we have been dangerous in this virus. and we're very conscientiously clear that we're called to healing. healing ourselves in healing our community. and i want to say to the sisters and brothers in san francisco general, because i have brought many of my parishioners, friends, and children into your womb for care, and you have been incredible. god bless you, and thank you. and you much deserve this award to today. god bless you. [applause] and so, as i was sitting on my seat and allowing the spirit to really speak to my heart, i

thought it would be important to let you know that i am going to take some liberties with the lyrics to a song that will be very familiar with you. but because i believe today we're dedicating a fountain of living water, i think it is important that we sing and speak with the eye toward this place that has been established, not only to remember those who have passed the to remember that there is a very narrow gulf between life and death. they're here with us in this place today. ♪ herhere is a place for us right here there's a place for us with peace and quiet and open air

waiting for us right here here's a plactime for us right now there's a time for us this time together we're time to share time to learn time to care

somehow some way we found a new way of living we found a way of forgiving right here there's a place for us god made a place for us so hold my hand and i'll take

you there hold my hand and we're halfway there right here right now this place ♪ god bless you. [cheers and applause]

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