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30 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday December 1, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Students hand out $Million or More lesson On Thursday high school students from Iroquois Ridge High School visited their Grade 8 peers at Joshua Creek Public School to raise awareness about World AIDS Day -- today, Saturday, Dec. 1. Nicole Markwick, Stephen Soock, both Grade 12 students, and Kyle Steward, who is in Grade 11, engaged the Grade 8s in an HIV transmission activity. It involved the students mixing fluids in paper cups to demonstrate how many people can be infected with HIV if fluids are exchanged with the carrier of the virus or those who have already contracted the virus from that one carrier. A second activity involved the students responding to statements. They had the opportunity to strongly agree with or strongly disagree with those statements. Students were invited to share their previously acquired knowledge while learning about HIV prevalence rates, the vulnerability of women to become infected, what the acronyms HIV and AIDS stand for, the various ways how HIV is spread, and whether or not there is a cure for the virus. Students also participated in a photo analysis, which focused on individuals somehow involved in the pandemic whether they are educators, orphans or carriers. They were encouraged to view them as embodying the universal traits for hope, dignity, compassion, belonging and empowerment. Finally, several students were invited to participate in a brief role play to emphasize the overwhelming numbers of orphans, women and grandmothers who are impacted by the pandemic and the causes as to why these rates are so high. The visit to Joshua Creek Public School by the Iroquois Ridge students is one of the first steps in Oakville's $Million or More campaign whose goal it is to raise $1 million for the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF), which aims to ease the pain of those suffering from HIV and AIDS. The pandemic has ravaged Africa and left millions of children orphaned. In many instances, the children's grandmothers have been left to not only bury their own children, but then care for and provide for their grandchildren. Between World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) 2007 and Dec. 1, 2009, the $Million or More Oakville campaign aims to raise a million or more. Its honourary chair is journalist Sally Armstrong and its co-chair is former mayor Ann Mulvale. It is bridging numerous groups and fundraising activities for the same cause through Oakville and encouraging many more to get involved. The Iroquois Ridge students are involved as last spring, Iroquois Ridge High School, and the students involved Thursday, held an AIDS awareness conference that raised nearly $13,000 for AIDS relief and was highlighted by a visit from Stephen Lewis, the former United Nations' SecretaryGeneral's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006 and author of The Race Against Time. Also last Thursday, shopping at Oakville's Ten Thousand Villages saw a portion of sales directed to the SLF through the local group oomama, a grandmothers for grandmothers group that fundraises for the SLF. Last spring, oomama also hosted Lewis at Appleby College and raised $100,000. Shopping at Whole Foods Market on Wednesday, Dec. 12 will also see a portion of sales directed to the SLF. Whole Foods is at 301 Cornwall Rd., Mulvale will be a celebrity bagger at the event. For more information on the $Million or More campaign, or to find out how to help visit www.millionormoreslf.ca. LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER WALKING IN THEIR SHOES: Iroquois Ridge High School students give a lesson to Grade 8 students at Joshua Creek Public School in preparation for World AIDS Day, today, Saturday, Dec. 1, as part of the $Million or More Oakville campaign to raise funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the fight against AIDS in Africa. Nicole Markwick teaches Grade 8 students using Samad Abubakar, one of the Grade 8 students in a role play activity. Abubakar is representing grandmothers who end up taking care of their grandchildren due to the death of their own child from AIDS. Kyle Steward Nicole Markwick Stephen Soock FOOT AND ANKLE SPECIALIST A STEP BEYOND IN CARE Specializing in: · Foot/Arch Pain · General/Diabetic Care · Permanent Ingrown Toenail Removal · Custom Made Foot Orthotics Reiki and Reflexology now available SALIMA KASSAM REG. CHIROPODIST As of January 01, 2008 Dr. Kerr, MD FCFP & DR. 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