Magic Johnson Foundation & AHF Host Premiere of ESPN’s The Announcement

In News by AHF

The Magic Johnson Foundation and AIDS Healthcare Foundation co-hosted the premiere screening of ESPN Films’ The Announcement this past Tuesday, March 6th. This riveting documentary chronicles the untold story of basketball legend Magic Johnson’s triumphant journey living with HIV. The screening at Downtown Los Angeles’s Regal Cinemas was a star-studded event, with Magic’s friends and supporters on hand to share the moment.

The Announcement airs this Sunday, March 11th at 9:00 pm Eastern on ESPN.

AHF President Michael Weinstein praised Magic, calling him a hero and an icon in the fight against AIDS: “We applaud the courage and leadership he continues to show in this battle over the years and thank ESPN Films for both pointing a lens at his remarkable life and for allowing AHF and Magic Johnson Foundation the honor of hosting the premiere of The Announcement.”

He added: “As a public figure—and through his own personal experience living successfully with HIV—Magic serves as a beacon, letting others who may also be infected know that seeking medical care and lifesaving antiretroviral treatment is the right thing to do.”

For over ten years, Magic and AHF have forged a partnership that now includes six free AHF ‘Magic’ Johnson treatment clinics and several nationwide HIV testing initiatives. We recently announced plans for three new AHF ‘Magic’ Johnson clinics: Brooklyn, NY; Ft. Worth, TX and Atlanta, GA.

Earlier in the day, the film was screened for five hundred Los Angeles-area high school students. After the screening, the students took part in an educational question and answer session, where they had the opportunity to learn more about HIV and AIDS, as well as safer sex practices. Participants in the panel included Cookie Johnson, Magic Johnson’s wife; Robert E. Bailey, II, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Cynthia Davis, a respected, longtime Southland AIDS advocate and assistant professor and program director at Medical Sciences Institute at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science; Hydeia Broadbent, HIV/AIDS activist; and Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The film truly captures the hope at the heart of Magic’s personal journey and the way the world has been affected by his announcement, now more than 20 years ago. The Announcement airs this Sunday, March 11th at 9:00 pm Eastern on ESPN.

HIV pill for prevention debated as FDA ruling nears
New Data Confirm Gilead’s HIV Prevention Pill Fails