First Ever Hep B Awareness Calendar Published

Published in AsianWeek, December 13, 2010
By Linda Ong

The first ever calendar, dedicated to raising hepatitis B awareness is launching in time for the holidays on Wednesday, December 15 at The Artists Alley in San Francisco.

The 2011 Hep B Free calendar titled “Hep B can affect any one of us…” features 13 striking Asian Americans from the Bay Area, each of whom are carriers, survivors, people with family or friends who have had Hep B, or those who are actively involved in helping to raise awareness of the disease. Both profound captions and poignant personal quotes fill the pages of each month’s spread, in addition to alarming statistics of the effects of the disease and its prevalence among the Asian Pacific Islander community.

“The calendar is outstanding because it shows the relevance of Hep B in everybody’s lives, and that it can affect anyone,” said Ronald Wong, President of Imprenta Communications Group, Inc., who volunteered his time and resources for the creative design of the calendar.

The AsianWeek Foundation and San Francisco Hep B Free produced the calendar, which was shot by L.A. – based photographer Shane Sato. Jennifer Toy provided makeup while hair was styled by Ethel O’Yang of E The Look.

“The goal of the calendar is to spread awareness of Hep B all year round,” said Angela Pang, Community Relations Manager at the AsianWeek Foundation. “When people post up the calendar on their walls, we hope that it will serve as a friendly reminder to them and their loved ones about the importance of seeing a doctor who tests for Hepatitis B, if they haven’t already.”

Also known as the “Silent Killer,” Hep B currently affects 1 in 10 Asian Pacific Islanders, compared to 1 in 1,000 of the general public, and is also one of the primary causes of liver cancer. Despite this, Hep B can be treated with an effective vaccine if an infection is detected early. Therefore, the calendar serves as a daily reminder for the public to go to their doctors to get tested.

“Because of the campaign, I asked my doctor to test me and I have encouraged so many others to do the same,” said Janet Cruz, one of the calendar models and an active volunteer in the campaign. “I am honored to be a part of this pro-active movement with such devoted members who are dedicated to eradicating this fatal disease in our community.”

Calendars cost $10 each, plus $3 for shipping and handling and can be purchased online at sfhepbfree.org/calendar/ or in-person at the AsianWeek Foundation office located at 564 Market Street, Suite 320, San Francisco (Mon. through Fri., from 9 am to 5 pm). All proceeds will go towards ending hepatitis B disease and liver cancer. For more information about the calendars, call Carrolyn Kubota at (415) 373-4003.

WHEN: Wednesday, December 15, 5-7pm

WHERE: The Artists Alley

863 Mission St.

San Francisco, CA 94122