Undaunted by pouring rain and an early morning bus ride, more than 30 Stanford students made their way to San Francisco this past Saturday to participate in one of 10 “student global AIDS walks” that took place in several major cities across the United States. Stanford students joined students from UC-Berkeley, UC-San Francisco and a variety of local colleges and high schools.

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A group of Stanford student organizers huddle in the rain before the AIDS walk in Golden Gate Park on Saturday. Approximately 150 students from Stanford participated, despite the weather. #gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/2525
Courtesy of Erica Heiman

A group of Stanford student organizers huddle in the rain before the AIDS walk in Golden Gate Park on Saturday. Approximately 150 students from Stanford participated, despite the weather.

Registration fees and donations went to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which supports a variety of treatment programs that bring antiretroviral and other AIDS-related medicines to patients in Africa, Asia and Latin America. All together, the 10 AIDS walks raised $35,492.

Organizer Christina Riechers, a sophomore, said that 200 participants registered for the walk in San Francisco. However, Riechers noted that closer to 150 actually came and added, “Considering the pouring rain, we were very pleased.”

A bus left Tresidder at 9 a.m. The walk started at 11 a.m. after a brief speech from Arthur Ammann, president of Global Strategies for HIV / AIDS.

According to Ammann, “In Zimbabwe, for every new teacher brought in to schools, one is lost to AIDS.” He strongly emphasized the importance of grassroots initiatives and commented that “the money raised will make an impact — 20 to 30 dollars can in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, educate between two to four children.” He also mentioned his own belief that “we have an untapped resource against AIDS and that is students.”

Following this speech, senior Jacqueline Wamalwa, originally from Botswana, stepped up to sing “Can’t Give Up Now” and called for a moment of silence in remembrance of those who have died or are currently struggling with AIDS. After approximately a minute, fellow coordinator and sophomore Thaala Monsti joined Jackie and called for a moment of noise. Monsti, who comes to Stanford from the Kingdom of Lesotho, informed participants of how to say both rain, “bula,” and peace, “hotso,” in Sotho. Cheerful calls of hotso and bula were passed among students throughout the entire march.

Though content to see so many Stanford students participating, organizer Becca Hammon, a sophomore, mentioned, “There isn’t a lot of awareness at Stanford about AIDS, and many Americans have become blasé about the illness.”

Hammon noted that, in the United States, easy access to AIDS medication has lessened the overall concern, despite the increasing frequency of other sexually transmitted diseases.

“We are all eligible for drugs and so AIDS as a chronic illness has fallen off the radar,” she said.

Senior Megan Thomas recalled being in class and having a classmate ask whether AIDS was still even a problem in the United States.

“That sort of attitude made you want to take action,” Thomas said. Both Thomas and Hammon are members of the AIDS Treatment Access Initiative and helped organize the walk.

Some students were pleased to see such a variety of majors, ethnicities and classes being represented. Senior Shilpa Vuthoori commented, “It is so neat to see such a wide range of groups coming from Stanford — it really shows solidarity.”