The Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA kept energy high with live music and collaborative games.

Entering into the sixth hour of the 10-hour 2026 Dance Marathon, PAC hyped the crowd with a morale dance to Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” before introducing the Sunset Wrecks. The four-piece rock band performed a combination of original music and covers – among those, “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” by Luke Bryan. Elise Tsai, a fourth-year biochemistry student and the director of corporate relations for PAC, said the live performance helps raise spirits.

“My feet are a little bit sore, but I still have energy,” Tsai said. “All these bands are supplying a lot of adrenaline, and the color wars games are really engaging.”

Caroline Sippey, the director of fundraising at PAC, said each activity allows dancers to bond with each other, as well as with the children from the Laurel Foundation. The fourth-year psychology student added that educational games such as “Fact or Cap” – which encourages attendees to distinguish between facts and myths about pediatric HIV and AIDS – have added elements of stigma-fighting advocacy to a night of fun.

Alana Hendricks, a second-year psychobiology student and member of the fundraising committee, said she was inspired to become a part of PAC because she wanted to help other people and contribute to a larger cause. She added that while her energy was waning at certain points, thinking about the purpose of the event motivated her to continue.

“When I do get in those low moments of energy, I think about the kids,” Hendricks said. “I definitely have had my moments of tiredness, but I’m ready to get up and keep dancing for them.”

[Related: 2026 Dance Marathon holds vigil emphasizing importance of pediatric AIDS research]

Internal team member and third-year political science student Eliza Lewis said she feels surrounded by a close-knit community at Dance Marathon that is passionate about fighting pediatric AIDS. Lewis added that PAC members are committed to personal fundraising initiatives outside of UCLA, which is why she organized a bake sale in her hometown during winter break. PAC members have raised $10,000 since Wednesday, and every dollar raised by each Dance Marathon color team has brought them to an event fundraising total of about $5,000 as of 8 p.m., Sippey added.

“(AIDS) is a really treatable cause,” Lewis said. “We just need money to help people pay for their medication. There’s no need to research or anything, it’s just getting people what they need,”

As the sixth hour concluded, the Sunset Wrecks left the stage, and an activity known as the color wars began. Participants competed with their fundraising teams in a real-life tic-tac-toe game. Tsai said the color wars games helped keep her engaged over the course of the marathon and refocused their attention from their discomfort to the larger cause.

Simultaneously, participants dispersed throughout the Ackerman Grand Ballroom to chat with representatives at the beneficiary booths, try their hand at games of roundnet or cornhole and peruse a table of colorful bandanas to modify their outfits.

Following the game of tic-tac-toe, the PAC ushered in DJ ST3RR and Whoissameerr – the DJs collaborated in dynamic EDM mixes of songs such as “This is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris and Rihanna. Kimberly Perez, a third-time participant of Dance Marathon, said she enjoys discovering bands from Los Angeles’s local music scene at the event each year. Alongside discovering new bands, the fourth-year biology student said she has been excited to see familiar faces at the kids’ painting and bracelet-making booths.

“It’s a family,” Perez said. “Most people here are people who come every year. The community keeps on building, and the bonds keep on getting tighter. It’s nice seeing the kids every year, because they’re a little bit older, and it’s been nice seeing them grow.”

Perez said the evening’s attendance count has climbed from previous years, and she hopes future Dance Marathons can be hosted once again in Pauley Pavilion, which was the event’s previous venue. Sippey added that the buzz surrounding PAC and Dance Marathon has the potential to return to peak levels of activity and empowerment.

“We’re finding community again,” Sippey said. “Ultimately, what we’re all here for is to make sure we’re fighting for an AIDS-free generation. That is completely possible and completely tangible. The bigger Dance Marathon gets, the closer we get to that goal where we can officially say that no child is ever born with HIV.”