California Delta Shannon Han has a passion for helping others. She is currently a second year studying neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) volunteering with the Care Extenders Internship Program and is a member in UCLA’s GlobeMed student organization. One of the highlights of her first year was becoming a member of the Pediatrics AIDS Coalition (PAC) and participating in its annual Dance Marathon event.

The goal of PAC is to get rid of the stigma that surrounds AIDS. “People do not understand the impact AIDS has on other people,” Shannon said. “People are ignorant and we want to help educate people about the disease.” One of the big ways PAC does outreach is through Dance Marathon. The event is held annually in UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion and is considered a bucket-list item for Bruins. PAC is paired with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Project Kindle and the UCLA AIDS Institute. Participants engage in a 26-hour dance-a-thon (26 hours to represent the miles in a marathon) to literally take a stand on pediatric AIDS. Along with the dancing, participants can enjoy activities like creating friendship bracelets, yoga as well as play with members of Camp Kindle, a retreat for local children with AIDS. In 2015, Dance Marathon raised more than $450,000.

Shannon is so excited for the first week of April – which is PAC’s 15^th year sponsoring the event! She is on the Greek Relations Committee and has already begun fundraising efforts to reach her $500 goal. She is continuing to raise awareness and make an impact in the Los Angeles area.