The Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA hosted a vigil during its 2026 Dance Marathon to celebrate children with pediatric AIDS and combat stigma surrounding HIV.

PAC is holding a 10-hour dance marathon Saturday from 2 p.m. to midnight. Elise Tsai, the director of corporate relations for PAC, said the focus of the event is to raise money for pediatric AIDS research and raise awareness about harmful stigma. She added that each Dance Marathon also features a vigil as a reminder of the importance of the cause.

“This is a meaningful time where – in the moment of silence in this fun atmosphere – we can connect to the cause and understand why we’re raising this money, who we are raising this money for and showing that we’re not alone in this fight and building a sense of community,” Tsai, a fourth-year biochemistry student, said. 

The vigil began at 6:24 p.m. with speeches from Shirin Dunker, the executive director of logistics, and Hanna Masri, the executive director of outreach. Dunker said one of the purposes of the event is to educate people about HIV and AIDS – particularly, that AIDS can be treated, cured and eradicated with proper medical treatment, which requires research and funding.

Dunker added that societal stigma around HIV and AIDS – specifically regarding the transmission of the disease – is debilitating for those suffering from it. 

“These misunderstandings lead to harmful stigma, sometimes so powerful that some choose to hide their diagnosis and live in silence to avoid that rejection and judgment,” Dunker said.

Next, Masri introduced ambassadors and students from the Laurel Foundation, which hosts free summer camps for children with pediatric AIDS. She added that the Laurel Foundation is one of the main beneficiaries of the fundraising from the Dance Marathon.

One representative from the Laurel Foundation, a co-director of families identifying herself by her camp name, Sparkle, said working with the Laurel Foundation was one of the most meaningful parts of her college experience because it allowed for her to connect with campers on a personal level and participate in a cause larger than herself.

[Related: ‘United’: 2026 Dance Marathon kicks off to raise awareness for pediatric AIDS]

These speakers were followed by testimony from children and adults who were involved with the camps held by the Laurel Foundation. Tiffany Baker, a camp counselor, said coming to a Laurel Foundation camp as a child was a transformative event because of the environment of acceptance compared to the isolation and stigma she experienced as a child. 

“It was life changing, the love and education that was given to me in a week of camp,” Baker said. “It carried on long into my years as a teenager and now as an adult.” 

Trish Karlin, an ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, said her organization is working – with the support and funds from events such as PAC’s Dance Marathon – to increase access to treatment for AIDS. She added that she and her organization are working to eradicate the disease in the next few years. 

“In the next five years, we could get infections and deaths (from AIDS) to zero. That is our goal, and I’m hoping each of you will stand with us in getting there because we’re not going to give up,” Karlin said. 

Following the speakers, Dunker conducted an audience activity, where members raised their glow sticks as a symbol of their personal experiences surrounding HIV and AIDS.

The vigil concluded with another activity, where participants gathered in a semicircle surrounding the stage and members of the cause committee threaded a red string through each of their hands. Dunker said the purpose of the activity was to demonstrate unity in the fight against pediatric AIDS. 

“You are now connected to people standing and fighting against HIV and AIDS. Connection is the start of change,” Dunker said.

Members of the cause committee ended by cutting the thread, to serve as a reminder of the organization’s purpose. 

“We’re not giving up the fight – that was never an option,” Karlin said.