Every year, December 1 marks World AIDS Day. Since 1988, it has been observed by all countries that are part of the United Nations to shine a spotlight on HIV/AIDS, which is still a pandemic and has been since 1981. <p>According to UNAIDS, the United Nations body that works to end HIV/AIDS worldwide, there were about 37.7 million people living with HIV worldwide in 2020, and 1.5 million new infections the same year. More than 680,000 people were estimated to have died of complications related to AIDS in 2020 alone. <p>Many countries around the world have committed to ending HIV/AIDS by 2030, but persistent inequity around health care and discrimination continue to cause infections to spread. <p>With that in mind, fundraising for HIV/AIDS research is as important as ever, and Canadian stars came together to help that cause last weekend in Toronto. <p>More than $1.1 million was raised at the Bloor Street Entertains event, organized by philanthropist <strong>Sylvia Mantella</strong> to benefit the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR). <p>A whopping 750 guests attended across 20 venues throughout Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood, all pitching in to help CANFAR work to eradicate HIV/AIDS in our country by 2025. <p>"The first steps in eradicating HIV are education and stopping the stigma!" Sylvia Mantella wrote on Instagram about the event. <p>"Our goal is to get an HIV self-testing kit into the hands of every single Canadian who needs it." <p><strong>Scroll through the gallery to see which stars came out to support the cause – and the gorgeous style they brought to the event!</strong> <p>Photos: &copy; George Pimentel
Tracy Moore, Sangita Patel and many more stars help raise $1.1 million for HIV/AIDS research in Toronto

The events in support of the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research (CANFAR) took place at more than 20 different venues throughout Toronto last weekend

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