THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will mark the 23rd anniversary of World AIDS Day with a candlelight vigil and panel discussion on Thursday, Dec. 1.

CLU’s Center for Equality and Justice will host an HIV-positive speakers panel at 2 p.m. in the Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. A candlelight vigil will be held at 4 p.m. on the Swenson Center front patio. Resource tables will be in the lobby from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

The Swenson Center is located on Faculty Street near Pioneer Avenue on the Thousand Oaks campus. Parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

This year, other Ventura County agencies are also hosting AIDS Day activities. A presentation on HIV and aging, a panel discussion, and a vigil will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in the Ventura County Public Health auditorium at 3147 Loma Vista Road in Ventura. The Ventura County Council On Aging will donate a portion of the proceeds from its bingo game at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at 4917 S. Rose Avenue in Oxnard to the Ventura County Public Health Center.

First observed in 1988, World AIDS Day was initiated by health ministers from around the world who called for a spirit of social tolerance and a greater awareness of HIV/AIDS on an international scale. The theme for this year’s observance is “Getting to Zero: Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS-Related Deaths.”

CLU’s Center for Equality and Justice, Wellness Programs, Campus Ministry and the HIV/AIDS Coalition of Ventura County are sponsoring the free events at CLU. For more information, contact Amanda Whealon at 805-493-3950 or awhealo@callutheran.edu. For more information on the other events, call Craig Webb with Ventura County Public Health at 805-652-3310.