By Elisabeth Bont

Community News Editor

This Friday, the trees of Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids will wear 1,134 red ribbons.

Although they may look festive, the ribbons are not for Christmas.

``They symbolize the 1,134 persons infected with HIV in West Michigan,'' said Susan Morales-Barias, planner for the Kent County Health Department.

In observance of the 15th annual World AIDS Day, the Health Department is joining local AIDS prevention groups and health providers -- as well as national organizations and 191 countries around the world -- to draw attention to a disease that has killed an estimated 22 million people worldwide.

Although World AIDS Day is officially December 1, local commemorative activities -- which include a dedication ceremony, speeches, a prayer service, and a candlelight vigil -- will take place Friday, November 30, said Morales-Barias. The ceremonies will take place Friday because more people will be downtown and local media will be more willing to cover it, she said.

People can also participate in World AIDS Day by wearing red ribbons, which are available at the Kent County Health Department, Rosa Parks Circle, and several local schools and stores.

``Our theme this year is Show You Care,'' said Morales-Barias.

When you wear a red ribbon, ``you're helping to combat the complacency about HIV/AIDS,'' she said. ``You are reminding people that HIV/AIDS is still deadly. You are showing your support for HIV/AIDS awareness.''

Although most Americans are aware that AIDS exists, many have ceased to see it as a serious problem, said Mary Greene, Communication and Public Relations Director for the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, whose AIDS Fund donates $20,000 to local HIV/AIDS charities each year.

``The infection rate is not decreasing,'' she said. ``People are living longer with HIV and AIDS, but the level of education has not caught up. It is still an epidemic.''

An estimated 13,000 people in Michigan are living with HIV or AIDS, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. 1,100 more are diagnosed each year.

Minority populations are disproportionately affected, with 62% of cases in Michigan reported among black people, 34% among white people and 3% among Hispanics.

Morales-Barias hopes the ribbons in Rosa Parks Circle and worn throughout the city will catch the eye of many passers-by and help get the word out that AIDS must be faced here and now.

``We want to tell people, it's happening here too,'' she said. ``You can't just say, `it's not my problem.'''

Events in Grand Rapids will begin with speeches and a ribbon dedication ceremony in Rosa Parks Circle at 11 a.m. on Friday.

That evening, a prayer service, sponsored by Hispanics Against AIDS and the Grand Rapids Area Center for Ecumenism (GRACE), will be held at St. Joseph the Worker Church. The bilingual service, which begins at 5:30, will be followed by a candlelight vigil from 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Grand Valley State University's downtown campus.

This last event will be geared to teenagers, a crucial group to reach since half of the world's new HIV infections occur in people under the age of 25, said Morales-Barias.

``This year's theme for World AIDS Day -- ``I Care . . . Do You? Youth and AIDS in the 21st Century'' -- reflects the reality that HIV is reaching younger people, here in the United States and around the world,'' said Richard L. Wittenberg, President and CEO of the American Association for World Health (AAWH).

``Because ideas about gender equity and self-esteem often develop during adolescence, focusing on HIV/AIDS education and prevention among youth is extremely important,'' he said.

As of 2000, 36 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, and 21.8 million have died from AIDS. According to AAWH, approximately 1 in every 100 adults worldwide is infected with HIV, but 90% of them do not know it.

Anyone looking for more information on local World AIDS Day activities can visit the Kent County Health Department website at www.healthykent.org.