The NAMES Project Foundation originated from activist Cleve Jones in 1985, who envisioned a public display of names in memory of those lost to the epidemic, which evolved into fabric panels lovingly sewn by their friends and family. The Quilt made its debut on the National Mall in 1987, featuring 1,920 panels and marking the beginning of a name-reading tradition. By 1988, a national tour had tripled the Quilt's size and engaged thousands of volunteers in its creation. Throughout the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the Quilt was showcased internationally, supported by World Health Organization initiatives on World AIDS Day, and gained cultural recognition, notably with the Oscar-winning documentary "Common Threads" in 1989. In 2000, the headquarters relocated to Atlanta to enhance partnerships, and by 2012, a significant collaboration with the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., revealed that the Quilt had grown too large for a single full-mall display. By 2019, stewardship of the Quilt was transferred to the National AIDS Memorial, with its…