Richard Snook was born in a small town on the east coast of Canada, in the early sixties and has been living with HIV since 1987.

He currently volunteers with the AIDS Committee Toronto and the Toronto People with AIDS Foundations. In an effort to fight stigma and discrimination, and to show that being HIV positive is nothing to be ashamed or afraid of, he appeared in a nationally televised public service announcement for the AIDS Walk for Life in 2007. Richard's outgoing and gregarious personality, his personal experience overcoming drug dependency, plus his completion of the HIV 101 course offered through the City of Toronto Department of Public Health and participation in workshops on harm reduction, anger management and cultural sensitivity, qualify him as an effective public educator on HIV/AIDS.