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U.S. film star to attend Chimusoro HIV/AIDS Awards
United States
Embassy Public Affairs Section, Harare
December 04, 2009
The Emmy Award
winning actress and Population
Services International (PSI) Ambassador, Debra Messing, will
visit Zimbabwe next week, and will attend the ninth presentation
of the Auxillia Chimusoro HIV and AIDS Awards on December 10.
The awards, funded by
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and
held this year at the National Art Gallery, celebrate organizations
and individuals who have demonstrated commitment and courage in
breaking the silence around the infection, reducing stigma and discrimination,
and caring for infected and affected people.
The awards are named
after Auxillia Chimusoro, one of the first people in Zimbabwe to
openly disclose their HIV positive status. At the time, in 1987,
the disease was shrouded in silence.
"I am honored to
be invited to speak at the Auxillia Chimusoro Awards ceremony, honoring
Auxillia's legacy and recognizing those making such direct
progress against this devastating disease. USAID's ongoing
support has made such success possible and I'm grateful to them
for their commitment, generosity, and partnership," says Messing
of her participation in the 9th annual awards ceremony.
"We are excited
to have Debra Messing speak to Zimbabwean HIV and AIDS activists
during the Auxillia Chimusoro Awards," says Tim Gerhardson,
Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Harare. "The
fight against AIDS is a central piece of the foreign policy and
global health agenda outlined by the United States. Artists can
play an important role in both spreading the message and fundraising,
which makes Messing's experience with PSI a positive model
for all Zimbabweans."
Internationally, Messing
is best known for her role on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy
series "Will & Grace." She captivated television
audiences worldwide for eight seasons with her comedic brilliance
as Grace Adler. For her work on the popular sitcom, Messing won
the 2003 Emmy Award and has earned numerous accolades, including
several Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild nominations.
In 2001, Messing collected the TV Guide's Actress of the Year
in a Comedy Series honor and was awarded a Screen Actors Guild award
with the cast of "Will & Grace."
She also portrayed Mary
Magdalene in the four-hour CBS miniseries, "Jesus,"
and starred in the USA miniseries "The Starter Wife"
with Joe Mantegna. Messing's recent film work includes several
romantic comedies, including The Wedding Date, box office hit Along
Came Polly, with Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston, and The Women,
alongside Annette Benning and Meg Ryan.
While in Zimbabwe, Messing
will take the opportunity to visit a variety of HIV prevention and
treatment programs and will meet with local officials and researchers.
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