Baton Rouge residents raised awareness Sunday for the HIV/AIDS epidemic sweeping the city and the state at the “Picture Perfect” event at Juban’s restaurant.
Louisiana is ranked fourth in the nation for the number of AIDS cases, and Baton Rouge has the second-highest rate of HIV/AIDS victims per capita in the country, according to a news release from HAART, the HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two.
Baton Rouge resident Pamela Hubbell said she attended the event to support HAART. She said she doesn’t know much about the HIV/AIDS problem, but knows HAART does a lot of work for those afflicted with the virus.
HAART is a local organization that provides support to citizens dealing with HIV/AIDS.
Lori Lauve, development and resources coordinator for HAART, said the organization provides various services for people with HIV/AIDS, including case management to ensure patients attend their doctor visits and programs to help patients with life insurance maintain their premiums.
The event included a brunch, fashion show and photo shoot.
Heather Sewell Day, owner of Red Cake Event Planning and the event’s organizer, said the event was designed to build a buzz about the viral epidemic within the community.
“We’re just trying to raise awareness because a lot of people don’t know the statistics,” Sewell Day said.
Baton Rouge resident Cobi Turner attended Picture Perfect to support her sister, who modeled at the event. Turner said she thinks people are misinformed about the epidemic.
“They know [about the HIV/AIDS problem], but they don’t know what they need to know,” Turner said about important prevention methods such as using condoms.
Baton Rouge resident Serena Turner said it’s important for people to realize AIDS doesn’t just affect homosexuals or drug users — people can catch the virus from other sources, like blood transfusions.
Sewell Day said the event isn’t intended specifically for the LGBTQ community. She said African American women are the No. 1 group of people affected by the virus.
Picture Perfect was intended to bring the community together to talk about the issue, according to Lauve.
“We’re really trying to target anyone in the community,” Lauve said.
The Picture Perfect fashion show wasn’t a typical fashion show. There was no runway and models snaked between the tables where guests were sitting.
Lauve said the fashion show’s unique setup gave spectators the chance to sit and socialize with each other while watching the models.
“Fashion is just another way to bring awareness to the issue, another way to talk about it,” Lauve said. 
The event also included a “love over hate” photo shoot in which attendees could pay to take pictures with tape over their mouths. Sewell Day said the idea was inspired by the “NO