A $250,000 state grant is coming to Rochester to help renovate the AIDS Remembrance Garden at Highland Park.

The garden was established in 1993 during the HIV-AIDS epidemic.

It has served as a place for families and friends to commemorate, memorialize and reflect upon the lives of the more than 400 residents of Monroe County who lost their battle with the disease.

"The AIDS Remembrance Garden is not a memorial, but a tribute," state Assemblyman Harry Bronson said. "[It is] a place of healing, a place of hope, a place where we look at this virus and we say, 'You will not win. We will win.' A place where young people can understand the history of AIDS and HIV. So when they are instructed by Trillium Health or other health providers that they should get tested, they can come here and understand more fully why it's important for them to get tested.”

Organizers also highlight the importance of the Pride movement as its history will help guide the project’s next phases.

The project is still seeking extra hands for cleanup.

To learn more on how to volunteer or contribute to the garden you can visit the Friends of Rochester’s AIDS Remembrance Garden Facebook page.