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The colour red has long been a symbol of love for many people around the world. In India, the colour red is adorned by married women in the sacred form of a bindi. In Canada, it signifies a sense of patriotism —and for one Canadian organization, red gives a sense of purpose. At the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR), a small red ribbon symbolizes a fiery call to action, a bold pursuit of purpose and a caring embrace of hope for those living with HIV/AIDS around the world.

Going as far back to the late 19th century, AIDS has built an infamous reputation discriminating no one, making it one of the world’s most deadliest diseases. It is estimated that more than 33 million men, women and children are currently living with HIV worldwide; one person dies of the disease every 16 seconds and someone new gets infected every 12 seconds.

Since its inception in October 1987, Canada’s only independent charitable foundation has been dedicated to eliminating HIV/AIDS through research. In the past couple of decades, CANFAR has funded numerous scientific initiatives and have paved the way for prevention through education in the global fight to find a cure for AIDS.

“Every day CANFAR-funded researchers move a bit closer to a cure for AIDS,” confirms long-term president Christopher Bunting. “Canada is one of a handful of countries that has the intellectual capital, infrastructure and resources to make a significant difference in the fight against AIDS.” For nearly 25 years the organization has led the way awarding more than $17 million dollars towards HIV/AIDS research.The groundbreaking results have been phenomenal. From the discovery of an antiretroviral “cocktail” that is keeping those with HIV healthy, to a microbicide that is empowering women to protect themselves, millions of people are leading a healthier life full of promise for an even healthier future in countries that were once unreachable by hope, let alone aid.

One notable leap forward in the fight against AIDS has been Dr. Deborah Money’s work around the transmission of HIV between a pregnant mother and her unborn child. As a result of a CANFAR-funded research project led by Dr. Money, significant advances in treatment have been made to eliminate the risk of transmission between an HIV-positive mother and child to near zero. “Considering that there are more than two million children living with HIV worldwide, these findings are a huge step forward,” says Bunting. “I’ve met HIV-positive mothers in Canada who have healthy, HIV-negative children because of Dr. Money’s work.”

Meeting with people living with AIDS is just one of the many commitments on Bunting’s daily itinerary, as he leads national operations from the head office in Toronto.. Working closely with a small team of dedicated staff and a larger troop of committed volunteers, Bunting is constantly collaborating with partners from across the corporate and medical fields to allocate funding for projects, organize events and campaigns and develop social-media platforms to spread awareness. “It’s always busy at CANFAR, but we all love working towards a cure,” says the cheerful president. This is truly an environment where passion meets purpose.

To date, CANFAR’S multiple campaigns and events—including Toronto’s Bloor Street Entertains, AIDSbeat, Have a Heart for CANFAR and Red Ribbon Campaigns—have made momentous impact on educating Canadians about HIV/AIDS. Last World AIDS Day, Canadian pop recording artist Prita Chhabra announced she would be joining the organization as its newest Ambassador. Following a 2008 research study trip to Malawi, Chhabra was inspired upon her return to Canada to visit schools and educate students about HIV/AIDS and the devastation of the disease she saw first-hand overseas. Later in 2009, she released her debut single, “May God Be With You,” for free to help continue her awareness efforts. “We are so proud of the work that Prita Chhabra has been doing, not only for CANFAR, but for the cause of HIV/AIDS in general,” Bunting says. “She is so determined and passionate about ending AIDS and she inspires everyone she meets.”

CANFAR also announced Canadian “Princess of Pop” Keshia Chanté as their new Youth Ambassador on December 1, 2010. With a strong youth following and dedication to help end this vicious disease, Chanté has been working with young Canadians to get the message out while encouraging them to use their power to take positive action. In May, the songstress will travel with a team of youth to Kenya to help those affected by HIV/AIDS. During their two-week stay, their travels and experiences will be recorded via journals, photos and videos to entice others to join in on the fight against AIDS. “She’s inspiring, energetic and articulate about fighting AIDS, and we’re excited to work with her towards a cure,” says Bunting.

Engaging in youth-related programs and tapping into the world of social-media networking has played a vital role in transcending CANFAR’s reach. “[Currently] we have a great Young Professional Council that is launching their first gala in support of AIDS research called ‘Our Future Without AIDS.’ Its goal is to engage young professionals in a vision of a world without AIDS,” explains Bunting. That gala, which will take place on April 30th, will be marketed via a nation-wide social- media campaign to raise funds and awareness. Having already jumped on the social-media bandwagon, you can be sure to keep abreast the latest CANFAR developments on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

While awareness, treatment and prevention are still the only temporal remedies available, the organization is enthusiastically working to find a sustainable answer to AIDS in the form of a vaccine or a cure soon. “We have one overarching future goal at CANFAR: End AIDS. Everything we do is to get us closer to that goal.”

And you can be sure that when that day arrives, the red ribbon will no longer be a national image of hope but a world’s emblem of victory.

BY RANGA THANGARAJAH / PUBLISHED: MAY 2011 ISSUE