The 2025 Dance Marathon closed the dance floor after 10 hours of exhilarating live music and Bruins busting a move.

The Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA’s annual celebration ended at 12:17 a.m. Sunday, announcing that it raised $55,041 for its mission, exceeding last year’s donations by $6,971. In the final two hours of the event leading up to this announcement, PAC brought the energy, responding directly to its goal of celebrating progress and joy amid hardship.

“That’s changing so many people’s lives,” said Camilla Hinrichsen, third-year human biology and society student and member of the PAC Morale Committee. “It’s making so many people born without AIDS, which is the most amazing thing in the world, and it’s just really heartwarming to be a part of.”

[Related: PAC holds vigil for those affected by HIV/AIDS at 2025 Dance Marathon]

PAC members decked out in spirited outfits led the audience in this year’s morale dance to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” at the top of the hour, as they did for each hour throughout the entire event, chanting, “One more hour!”

Attendees snacked on Goldfish and Rice Krispies from the concession stands while jamming to various student bands, including Evergreen and Wright & the Wrongs. Closing out the event before Sasha Avakyan’s final remarks, the audience jumped around to Evergreen’s cover of “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees and passionately swayed to Wright & the Wrongs’ cover of “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift.

“We like to say, ‘Once there’s a cure, we’ll dance for life, but now we’ll dance for joy,’” said Avakyan, a fourth-year molecular, cell and developmental biology major and president of PAC. “That very much sums up the event and just being excited about our cause of getting people together.”

Between performances, members of the Morale Committee threw vintage PAC Dance Marathon T-shirts into the crowd and announced prize winners from various competitions throughout the marathon. PAC members also allotted points to different teams for the Color Wars, a part of the program where groups of attendees assigned to a color team competed against one another throughout the event, said Elise Tsai, a third-year biochemistry student and member of the PAC Corporate Relations Committee.

To conclude the night, Avakyan made a speech congratulating everyone on their contributions, both financial and energy-wise.

“I know some of you might be tired, … but we get to walk away and go to bed and forget some moments of this,” said Avakyan. “But I really encourage you not to forget … what you learned today and you being better advocates for the rest of your life.”

Fourth-year physiological science and global health student Mason Tsang, who is the executive director of outreach engagement for PAC, expressed that his personal goal in the organization is to not only get people to attend PAC events but to also learn something.

[Related: Pediatrics AIDS Coalition at UCLA kicks off its annual Dance Marathon fundraiser]

After Avakyan’s final speech, she and members of PAC pointed to the red ribbon tied around their wrists – a symbol of solidarity for people with HIV, both living and deceased – and encouraged everyone to wear their ribbons with pride. PAC then projected a video recounting the day’s event.

Reflecting on the marathon, Avakyan added that participants stand at a significant point in history. She said participants must continue protecting access to AIDS treatment and educating people about particle transmission.

“Whether you came to Dance Marathon knowing all of this, or if you learned today, … you took a literal stand,” Avakyan said. “That is something we must all celebrate.”