Quiet Vigil Marks 100,000th AIDS Diagnosis in State

A small group of adults and children gathered Friday night at a seaside plaza to mark the 100,000th diagnosis of AIDS in California.

They neither rallied nor gave speeches.

Rather, they observed the symbolic occasion quietly, holding candles aloft against the darkening sky.

Asked if he was bothered by the relatively small turnout--only about 40 people attended--former Laguna Beach Mayor Robert Gentry said the goal behind the event wasn’t necessarily to draw a large crowd, but to provide a way for people to express their pain.

“The issue for me is not numbers,” he said, “but to meet the needs of those who wanted to express their commemoration.”

Dennis Amick, Gentry’s partner, wore a shirt that had belonged to his best friend, who died of AIDS more than a year ago. A volunteer at Laguna Shanti, an organization for people with life-threatening illnesses, Amick said the shirt made his friend “more present.”

AIDS has been diagnosed in more than 4,500 people in Orange County, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The highest per-capita rate of the disease occurs in Laguna Beach.

Among those gathered for Friday’s vigil was Mari Lane, a case manager for the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, and her two young daughters.

The oldest, 12-year-old Cassi Lane, said the ceremony was important.

“You should learn at an early age [about AIDS]. The more you know, the less you’ll be scared of it. . . . You can get it when you’re 50. You can get it when you’re 12.”

As darkness fell, participants sang “Amazing Grace,” standing behind a placard that read: “100,000 people diagnosed with AIDS in California and growing.”

Then the group broke up, and a member of the city’s HIV advisory committee cried out to them in gratitude.

“Thank you, friends,” Thomas Nylund said.

“Keep on loving! Keep on living! Keep the flame alive!”