For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Justin Burke - 213.201.1525

EMAIL:jburke@apla.org

TOM HANKS HOSTS AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENTARY “HEROES…TWENTY YEARS WITH AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES”

TO MARK WORLD AIDS DAY AND APLA’S 20TH YEAR OF SERVICE
SPECIAL AIRS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30 ON KCAL AT 7 PM

Los Angeles, Nov. 25, 2002 — Oscar winner Tom Hanks hosts "HEROES... Twenty Years with AIDS Project Los Angeles," a documentary on the history of AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). APLA, one of the nation’s oldest and largest AIDS service providers, has been instrumental in the fight against AIDS since the disease was first identified in Los Angeles 21 years ago. In anticipation of World AIDS Day, Sunday, Dec. 1, “HEROES …” will air on KCAL 9 on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. There will be an encore presentation on KCBS-TV at 12:45 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1. Produced by entertainment industry veteran and former APLA Board Chair Dana Miller, the documentary features original scored music by Sir Elton John.

The show documents APLA’s rich history and includes interviews with people living with HIV and AIDS, APLA founders, community and industry leaders, celebrities, volunteers and staff. Jeffrey Katzenberg, Carrie Fisher, Matthew St. Patrick (Six Feet Under), Brendan Fraser, Bruce Vilanch, Congressman Henry Waxman, Tom Ford (Gucci), Morgan Fairchild and Nathan Lane are just a few of the people showcased in “HEROES… Twenty Years with AIDS Project Los Angeles.”

“This project demonstrates the Los Angeles community’s ongoing commitment to the fight against AIDS – from the immediate response to help people dying of an unknown disease to volunteering, donating and advocating on behalf of people with HIV and AIDS today,” said APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson. “As we honor the creativity, outrage, generosity and caring that made these 20 years possible, AIDS Project Los Angeles renews its commitment to ending this epidemic.”

AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), which this year marks 20 years of prevention, advocacy and service, provides direct services to more than 10,000 men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in Los Angeles County. Services include prevention education, food banks, professional dental care, housing assistance, mental health counseling and case management. APLA is a leader in the provision of bilingual HIV treatment information, in print and on the Internet, and advocates for effective AIDS-related policies and legislation on the local, state and federal level. For more information, please visit www.apla.org.

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