Glen Ellyn church hosts AIDS education exhibit

A Glen Ellyn church is hosting an exhibit to educate the community about the growing, worldwide AIDS epidemic.

Beginning Saturday First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn will feature World Vision Experience's "Aids - Step Into Africa," an interactive, tent exhibit that allows visitors to step into the lives of actual children affected by HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The exhibit runs from Sep. 6 to 8 and Sept. 10 to 14.

"We really believe that this can have a big effect on our community," Project Manager Jocelyn Smolik said. "It's really about awareness for us, and the more people become aware of the crisis, the more we'll be able to do to make a difference."

The display will allow community members to walk through a replica of an African village and experience the pandemic's effects as stories about three children are told via iPods.

"You walk through their footsteps, you sleep on the bed they sleep on," Smolik said. "You step into their life for 20 minutes to learn how to empathize with what they were going through."

This will be the traveling exhibit's first visit to the Glen Ellyn church. The display will be set up in the church's celebration hall, and about 60 people can go through the exhibit in an hour.

There also will be a prayer vigil Sept. 12 at Lake Ellyn, featuring an authentic African dance by the Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago, guest speakers with firsthand experience of the AIDS epidemic, worship, prayer and a candlelight prayer walk.

"It's not really about money or churches or anything," Smolik said. "It's all about raising awareness for this huge crisis that we would miss if we weren't looking at it."

If you go

What: World Vision Experience's "AIDS - Step Into Africa" exhibit

When: Sept 6 to 8 and Sept. 10 to 14; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 6, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 7, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 8, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 11, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 12, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 13 and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 14.

Where: First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn, 550 N. Main St.

Cost: Free

Details: (630) 469-2007