The Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA and the Undergraduate Students Association Council Student Wellness Commission will host a solidarity walk, free HIV testing and a candlelight vigil on campus Monday to recognize World AIDS Day.
World AIDS Day, which takes place annually on Dec. 1, is acknowledged internationally to commemorate the lives of individuals who have died from the disease, to show support for people living with HIV or AIDS and to unite different nations in the fight to end the disease. Anyone can participate in the events on Monday.
On Monday morning in the “sunken gardens” near Schoenberg and Murphy halls, the Pediatric AIDS Coalition will set up a memorial to honor people who have died from AIDS. The memorial aims to show why group members fundraise and host events each year to support AIDS research, said Monica Avakian, director of events for the Pediatric AIDS Coalition and a fourth-year communication studies and economics student.
Later in the evening, there will be a candlelight vigil at Janss Steps to honor the lives of AIDS victims.
Katie Whan, director of public relations for the Pediatric AIDS Coalition and a fourth-year sociology student, said she thinks it is important to acknowledge World AIDS Day, especially at UCLA, because HIV and AIDS were heavily studied and researched on campus at the start of the epidemic.
UCLA researchers were among the first to discover new medical methods to combat the disease, according to the UCLA AIDS Institute.
Though Dance Marathon, which takes place in the spring, is the Pediatric AIDS Coalition’s largest annual fundraising event, students can donate to the cause online throughout the year.
“As students, we have the opportunity to end the disease, right on our campus,” Whan said.
The Student Wellness Commission will also be having events from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Bruin Plaza to commemorate World AIDS Day. The commission will be working alongside the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Campus Resource Center to educate students about the disease and provide resources for students to practice safe sex. The LGBT Center will be handing out free condoms and providing free HIV testing in Wilson Plaza.
There will also be a solidarity walk at 11:45 a.m. starting at the De Neve crosswalk and finishing in Bruin Plaza.
Between members of the Student Wellness Commission and the Pediatric AIDS Coalition, there will be about 200 volunteers total at the World AIDS Day events at UCLA, Whan said.
Compiled by Hannah Rosson, Bruin contributor.