People

BUCKING OBESITY TREND: Westford Academy social studies teacher and boys basketball coach Ed Scollan is not one to watch young people sit idle. He is called the driving force behind the University of Massachusetts at Lowell's National Youth Sports Program, which each summer allows up to 400 at-risk youth from Lowell to participate in sports and academic enrichment activities for free for five weeks. The program won a Silvio O. Conte award this week, making it one of the top 10 youth programs in the nation; it's the fifth time the program has taken the national prize. Scollan is the program's activity director.

EXAMINING HIV/AIDS GLOBALLY: Two years ago, Arlington's Elena Ghanotakis, 26, left a financial analyst job at Goldman Sachs in New York City and went to Buenos Aires to research access to AIDS medicines in developing countries. From there, she went to South Africa for four months, picked up a camera, and gathered footage about gender-based violence and the AIDS epidemic there. She interviewed HIV-positive men and women, doctors, sex workers, human rights activists, rape survivors, and even rapists in a maximum security prison. She plans to make a documentary film that "promises to be an important piece of work" because it shows the issues are not exclusive to one place, but exist globally, said Ghanotakis's mother, Natalie, about her daughter's work. The film may be released this summer.

BATTLING AIDS IN LAB, ON BIKE: Belmont's Patrick Autissier is waging his own kind of war against HIV/AIDS as a researcher searching for an HIV vaccine at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston. But, to further the cause, he is speaking March 2, 6 to 8 p.m., at a rally for The Race Across America/HIV Vaccine Project at Boston's Langham Hotel to encourage others to join him in the June 19 race, which spans nine days and covers more than 3,000 miles from San Diego to Atlantic City. He hopes the race will raise $2 million for Harvard Medical School's AIDS division. Thierry Vankerk-Hoven, consul general of France in Boston, and Dr. Bruce Walker, director of Harvard's AIDS division, also plan to speak in support of Autissier. Visit www.patrickautissier.org for more information or to make donations.

BASEBALL AT THE DOOR: Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster, Lowell boxing star Micky Ward, former baseball player Glenn DiSarcina, and WNDS TV sports anchor Mike DeBlasi spent Valentine's Day with children at the Greenmont Avenue Elementary School in Dracut and assisted-living residents at Marland Place in Andover last week. The Lowell Spinners minor league baseball team sponsored a "Spread the Love Tour" to make valentines with the students, sign autographs, and pass out candy. "Valentine's Day is a very special day for family and loved ones," said Spinners' general manager Tim Bawmann. "We consider the community part of our family."

KEEPING KIDS BUSY: With most area public schools closed this week, parents may be scrambling for activities to keep young ones busy. Reading Public Library recruited local teen chess player Vinay Barde to coach children in grades 3 to 6 on the game Wednesday from 2 to 3 p.m. Preregistration at 781-942-9105 is required. On Thursday, Wilmington's Jim Parks of Wingmasters will show children ages 6 and up a variety of live owls from 2 to 3 p.m. On Friday at 10:15 a.m., several short films based on picture books will be screened for preschoolers and their caregivers. At Lowell's American Textile History Museum, Kathleen Hirbour of Lowell and Paula Lockhead of Nashua will lead children, ages 7 to 10, on tours Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. of the current "Born on the 4th of July" exhibit. Youngsters can make felt American flag backpack pins as part of the special vacation week event.

PIANO AFICIONADO: Woburn's young pianist Alex Valente will perform in a special intergenerational "Cruise Jubilee" Tuesday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. for local seniors and their grandchildren at the Woburn Senior Center, 144 School St. He will be joined by entertainer Lisa Manning of Wrentham, who will bring her puppets. Snacks and door prizes will be available. For more information, call 781-937-7899.

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