Pediatric AIDS Coalition

Pediatric AIDS Coalition (PAC) at UCLA seeks to build community and encourage unified action by bringing together our diverse student population through education, action and support in the constant fight against Pediatric HIV/AIDS. Since 2002, PAC has planned and executed an annual 26-Hour Dance Marathon. DM seeks to empower the UCLA campus community in the fight against pediatric AIDS, raising funds and awareness about the importance of HIV education and testing, while helping young people make a difference in halting the spread of this devastating pandemic. Now entering its 16th year, DM has grown to be the largest student-run philanthropic event that raises funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS. However, DM is only a part of our larger, umbrella organization: the Pediatric AIDS Coalition (PAC). Now, not only will the students involved with PAC put on and participate in DM, but they will also participate in other events in an attempt to involve more of the community; people that may be inclined to fight for the cause but may not necessarily be interested in a DM. Dance Marathon has raised nearly $5 million in the past 16 years, benefiting HIV-positive children around the world. Proceeds benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, “the largest Pediatric AIDS foundation in the United States“, Project Kindle and One Heartland, “two free summer camp programs that provide HIV-affected children with the experience of a lifetime", and the UCLA AIDS Institute, a cutting-edge research facility at the forefront of the search for a cure. Dance Marathon 2018 will be in the historic PAULEY PAVILION on April 7th-8th, 2018! PAC also sponsors activities on campus throughout the year for the UCLA community including AIDS education in the form of performances and presentations, mentor days with kids from the camps, free HIV testing, and coordination of major events for World AIDS Day at UCLA. New programs include the “I Know” Awareness Campaign, Life Skills Retreat, and a Family Mentorship Program. PAC is constantly looking for new, innovative ways to unite students, community activists, celebrities and leaders around the cause of pediatric AIDS treatment and eradication, and PAC is looking forward to its expansion into the greater Los Angeles community. DM has become a poster in the UCLA community, so much so that people commonly say that you can't graduate UCLA without having done DM at least once. People say that our generation is not empathetic, but DM proves them wrong. We unite 140 people as a committee and 3000+ in the community to join together to fight this cause.

http://www.dancemarathon.ucla.edu
pac.president.ucla@gmail.com

Signatories: Lindsay Anderson, Carli Schultz, and Samuel McKinnon

Advisor: Pamela R Cysner