The determined one: Remembering Dale Grundy, former chair of Penn’s Community Advisory Board
By Denise Clay
© 2007 Denise Clay

When it came to fighting for social justice and to help those battling HIV/AIDS, Dale Grundy used all of the tools at his disposal.

During his life, Grundy used his connections in politics (he worked for the late Councilwoman Ann Land and as a committeeman in the 34th Ward), the media (he was a former producer for “Mornings with Mary,” Mary Mason’s popular WHAT-AM talk show) and within social justice agencies (working with ActionAIDS, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change) to bring positive outcomes to his community.

“He was just all over the place doing things to help others and to make a difference in the lives of people,” said Tyrone Smith, a friend and fellow member of the Community Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for AIDS Research. “He gave a lot of himself to making the lives of individuals who were dealing with AIDS and HIV better.”

Grundy, former chair of the Community Advisory Board, lost his battle with AIDS on April 27. The Red Ribbon Award for Community Service has been renamed in his honor.

During his tenure as board chair, Grundy established the Red Ribbon Awards as a means of honoring those in the community who were bringing their talents to the fight against HIV/AIDS. He was also the local spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control’s National Medical Monitoring Project. He also served on the boards of Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance and the HIV Commission.

Because of the work he did, and the conditions under which he did it, Grundy was direct and determined, said D. Rick Britt, the current chair of the Community Advisory Board.

“He had a very clear voice about what could and should happen,” Britt said. “He could get to the meat of the matter and it was very hard to divert him away from that. He was a champion of the people and he always kept it on point.”

The Fourth Annual Red Ribbon Awards, sponsored by the Community Advisory Board, will be held at 4 p.m. Nov. 30, in the Constitution Room at City Hall.