Students step out for pediatric AIDS prevention

Endurance will trump grace and style when students and community members attempt to stay on their feet for 18 hours as part of the Dance Marathon for Pediatric AIDS at UW–Madison.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, March 11, in the Great Hall of Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St. It will end when all dancers finally run out of energy, or at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12 – whichever comes first. This year’s theme is “Pardi Gras.”

Dance organizers say that kids with pediatric AIDS are their inspiration to stretch themselves to the limit.

“It’s the looks on the kids’ faces when they realize we’re doing this all for them; that’s what keeps me motivated,” says Ashley Kakes, a UW–Madison student working on the event.

Each dancer was asked to raise a minimum of $180 ($10 per hour) for three HIV/AIDS related foundations: Camp Heartland, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Foundation and UW Children’s Hospital. These three organizations work to serve children and enhance the lives of children and their families affected by HIV/AIDS.

“Camp Heartland is dedicated to enhancing the lives of children impacted by HIV/AIDS through year-round support, advocacy, recreational programs and community AIDS awareness efforts,” says Jess Brum, community fund-raising coordinator at Camp Heartland. “Since the majority of the children we serve are from impoverished families, our organization depends on fund-raising to provide free Camp Heartland experiences to children impacted by HIV/AIDS.”

Registration for the dance marathon is now closed. Non-registered members of the campus or Madison community are welcome to join the fun for a donation of $5 or more.

Dance Marathons occur nationwide at universities and high schools as fund-raisers for Pediatric AIDS support efforts. Penn State was the first university to hold the event, raising $3.6 million last year. The UW–Madison event is in its fourth year and is looking to expand to a community-wide event.

The UW–Madison Dance Marathon is sponsored by Scooter Therapy and STA Travel, with support from University Health Services (UHS).

For more information, contact Ashley Kakes, (920) 390-0169 or amkakes@wisc.edu, or visit http://www.dmuw.org.