Jump On Board with HashTag HIV Photo Challenge

In the month of July we are asking you to jump on board with POZ I AM Radio & HashTagHIV and participate in another HIV/AIDS Awareness Photo Challenge. This month we are asking you to snap a photo of yourself and the #HIV Tweeter on Board sign. (see left)

Be Creative...
Be Original ... 

Be a Trend Setter!!

What is a HashTag?
The # symbol, called a HashTag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages. Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics. That is our (the Hashtag HIV Team) Goal to make #HIV a Trending Topic for the very first time in world-wide history!

What is HashTag HIV ?
HashTagHIV is a Global Initiative to trend the #HIV on Twitter for the first time ever in history during International AIDS Conference. The goal is to trend #HIV and re-engage the community and re-ignite the conversation about# HIV. You can help us by following @HashTagHIV and by adding #HIV to your tweets.

How do I Submit a Photo?
You can upload your photo directly to the HashTagHIV FB page. It is that easy ! Once it is uploaded to the page your submission is complete. You can also submit your photo by tweeting them to @HashTagHIV on Twitter.

Robert's Photo

What are the Rules?
The only rules are that the photo must include the #HIV Tweeter on Board Sign and the person submitting the photo. Photos can only be submitted by individuals. Yes we love group shots but the prize for this challenge can only be rewarded to a singe individual. So any group pics submitted will not be considered to win the prize.

Jeromy's Photo

How is a winner decided ?
The winner of the challenge will be chosen by a panel of 8 Judges which include the HashTagHIV Team (Kevin Maloney,Robert Breining, Daniel Bauer, Aaron Laxton, Michele Anderson and Jeromy Dunn), Maria Mejia (our last photo challenges winner) and Butch McKay of AIDSOASIS. The winner will be chosen based on mixture of creativity, originality and Likes. We take the number of likes into consideration but the winning photo is not chosen solely on likes.

Daniel's Photo

When is the winner announced?
The winner of this challenge will be announced live and the winning photo will be showcased at the International AIDS Conference in Washington D.C. during Daniel Bauer's World-wide premiere of his show Beyond Belief. The winner will be notified beforehand to make sure he/she can accept the prize.


What's the prize?
The winner of this challenge will be awarded a single Scholarship to the Positive Living 16 Conference that takes place on March 8-10 2013 in Fort Walton Beach,Florida. The Scholarship includes Registration, 3 nights lodging and all meals. Please NOTE - The scholarship prize does not include airfare or transportation to Ft. Walton Beach Florida.

The photos included in this post were created by the HashTagHIV Team members to provide some inspiration for your photo. So Go Ahead! "Camera. . . Ready. . . Trend!!" Submit your photo today.

I am Daniel - and I am living pozitively! Thank you for following my blog!

Reigniting the HIV/AIDS Conversation = TeamWork: @HashTagHIV Campaign

T-E-A-M-W-O-R-K!!! Yes that is what is going to create the most effective, super-global vaccine to END AIDS during this generation.

Listen, I get it! We are all doing our own thing. . . outreach, prevention, testing and much more. Kudos to all of you who are getting their hands in the mix of the work that is necessary to care for those living with HIV/AIDS and necessary to educate those not living with HIV/AIDS to prevent contracting this virus and other STI's / STD's as well as to combat stigma and to get tested!

On a serious note. . . I hear the following being repeated a lot (in fact I hear myself saying this too) . . . "UGH! Why, why, why is HIV/AIDS conversation swept under the rug? Why is no one talking about it anymore? Why has our nation. . . why has the world gone quiet on this epidemic?" And then we point the finger of blame. . .

So, rather than being one of the cooks in the kitchen complaining about the problem by pointing a finger, I have decided to team up with five other incredible HIV/AIDS activists/advocates to begin a global trend setting Twitter initiative and our vision is to reignite the conversation of HIV/AIDS: HashTag HIV: Let's Trend Until the End. Reality is, I need to point the finger back on myself, because I have not been much of a team player, because for too long I was doing my own thing. It is time for me to make a change and become a team player and that change starts right now and I hope you will follow.

(Top: Kevin, Mitch, Aaron; Bottom: Jeromy, Daniel, Robert)

Many of you probably know who we are: There is me - Daniel Bauer (escape artist and founder of LivingPozitively.com), Robert Breining (Founder and Host of Poz I Am Radio / Social Network), Jeromy Dunn (Founder of PozitivelySpeaking.com and Co-host, Poz I Am Radio), Mitch Knapp (HIV Activist in the rural south), Aaron Matthew Laxton (YouTube super-star and founder of My HIV Journey), and Kevin Maloney (Founder of Rise Up to HIV and an employee at Community Access National Network).

So what's #HIV: Let's Trend Until the End all about: We believe as a team that millions and millions of people are using Twitter to quickly disseminate information about the hottest topics people are talking about! We believe that together, as a community, we can set #HIV, #AIDS as a Twitter trend catapulting awareness back to the top of conversation around the world!

So here's where you come in. . . it's time to become a team player. During the week of the International AIDS Conference (July 22-27, 2012 in Washington, DC) we are asking everyone with a Twitter account to consistently and frequently use the hashtags: #HIV #AIDS, #AIDS2012 and #IAC in all your Tweets. If you do not have a Twitter account, maybe it's time to get one, even if it's just for the purpose of helping to set the trend. You can simply go to www.twitter.com and sign up!

The HashTagHIV Team will be Tweeting from now on (and forever) to help set this trend. . . so please follow @HashTagHIV to get the latest information, updates and stats about how we are doing! Also, please, please add yourself to the HashTag HIV Facebook event to let the world know you and/or your organization is signing up as a team player!

Reality is we [six guys] can't do this alone. YOU. . . YOUR ORGANIZATION. .. YOUR FRIENDS are going to be the key elements of making this CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS!

So TEAMWORK - ACTIVATE! Let's Set the Trend!!!!  Together we will reignite the conversation about #HIV #AIDS!

I am Daniel, and I am living pozitively! Thank you for following my blog.