GOVERNORS ISLAND — A large piece of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed on Governors Island next week, marking its first visit to New York City in more than a decade.
The 57,600-square-foot section of the quilt — made from thousands of panels dedicated to people who have died from AIDS — will be unfolded across a football field-sized area of the island.
Visitors will be able to view the quilt from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 12.
A special dedication ceremony will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 11, and members of the public will be able to participate in a name reading ceremony.
The quilt is being displayed in honor of the fifth anniversary of an 11-day charity motorcycle ride, called the Kiehl’s LifeRide, which raises money for AIDS research organization amfAR. The last time such a large section of the quilt was displayed in New York City was in 2002, according to the NAMES Project Foundation, the nonprofit group that created and maintains the 54-ton quilt.
The memorial quilt, which now includes more than 48,000 panels of names, began in 1987 as way to celebrate the lives of those who died from the virus and to draw attention the growing AIDS epidemic. Small portions of the quilt are regularly shown throughout the country.
People can still add fabric panels to the quilt by visiting the NAMES Project Foundation's website. Along with the names of loved ones who have died, panels created by family and friends can include designs and other messages.
