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St. John's kickstarts relay in support of people with HIV/AIDS

A country-wide relay to raise funds and awareness for people who live with HIV and AIDS began in St. John's Tuesday.

A nationwide relay to raise money and awareness of HIV/AIDS kicked off in St. John's

10 years ago
Duration 1:21
A seven thousand kilometer journey from St. John's to Hope, British Columbia. The relay will raise money for research into a cure for HIV/AIDS and remind people to practice safe sex.

A country-wide relay to raise funds and awareness for people who live with HIV and AIDS began in St. John's Tuesday.

The Mylan Relay for Hope, a partnership between the Mylan pharmaceutical company and the Canadian AIDS Society, is a six-month journey which will end in Hope, B.C., mid-October.

Gerard Yetman, executive director of the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland & Labrador, said this tour has a special significance for the province.

"Since January of 2015, we have had 10 new infections of HIV. We have an outbreak of syphilis," said Yetman. "We have a lot of work to do, we have a lot of people to reach."

Each province will have 40 runners taking part in the event.