The National AIDS Memorial launched its 35th Anniversary year with Al Fresco in the Grove, a unique outdoor gathering where more than one hundred community members—volunteers, long-time board members and alumni, community partners, donors, and public officials—came together at a single-family table set within the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park.
The event served as both a celebration and a call to action, highlighting the grove’s role as the nation’s only federally designated memorial to AIDS and reaffirming its mission to remember, heal, and inspire. Guests shared a meal, raised toasts, and reflected on the grove’s legacy and future.
“Thirty-five years ago, during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, this grove was created out of grief, courage, and love,” said John B. Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Memorial. “Today, it continues to stand as a sanctuary of hope and healing—a physical place where our community can gather, remember those whose lives were cut short, and find the inspiration to keep building a more just and healthy society.”
“Thirty-five years ago, the AIDS Memorial Grove was created as a place of remembrance, renewal, and action,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said. “This sacred grove is always new and always full of life—a wonderful tribute to all whom we have lost, and the perfect place to renew our commitment to banish HIV to the dustbin of history.”
To further help commemorate this 35th anniversary year, the National AIDS Memorial will host multiple events and programs, including Light in the Grove on November 30, 2025, and the World AIDS Day National Observance on December 1, 2025. https://www.aidsmemorial.org/
Published on October 9, 2025
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