AMSA
AMSA's Local Chapter Project Directory
| PROJECT DESCRIPTION/CONTACT INFORMATION | |
| Project title | AMSA Global AIDS Week |
| Project type(s) | Fundraiser,Speaker |
| Date completed | 01/11/2007 |
| Chapter | UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School |
| Project Coordinator | Marion Protano |
| Summary of project | Monday, we had a HIV/AIDS patient come and speak about her experience as a mother who gave her child AIDS and her struggle against drugs. Tuesday at lunch we had speakers from the FXB Center in Newark talking about how the center was founded and their international AIDS projects. On Wednesday, we had petitions signed for the microbicidal agent research and supporting the Ryan White bill. Wednesday night we had a benefit fundraiser at the school. For $5, students got a free AIDS bracelet (which we purchased with an AMSA grant), got free food (from local donations), and listened to their classmates play music and talk about their experiences with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Also, the AIDS Quilt was there. We raised over $350, $50 went to the AIDS Quilt Foundation and the rest went to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit. On Thursday, we showed a portion of the movie, "A Closer Walk". On Monday, we also had photos up in the hall with pictures from South Africa to depict what some living conditions are. |
| Content area | HIV/AIDS |
| Number of participants | 200 |
| Participant hours involved | 250 hour(s) |
| PROJECT PLANNING | |
| Coordinator roles | |
| Coordinator hours | hour(s) |
| FUNDING & ADVERTISING | |
| Total project cost | $600 |
| Project funding | Local chapter funds,Medical school funds,AMSA grant,Donation |
| Funding breakdown of sources and/or donations: | |
| Project advertising | We used emails as well as posting flyers around school. We made announcements in all of our classes. I think everyone knew about AIDS Week and was well-informed about the events. |
| PROJECT EVALUATION | |
| Success rating (1 = unsuccesful, 5 = very successful) |
5 |
| Lessons/suggestions | When I contacted the speakers beforehand, I should have been more specific about what we expected. Our Monday speaker basically fielded questions, which was good, but it would have been nice to have a little more of a prepared speech (she spoke about 15 minutes prior). Wednesday night went well, I just wish more fellow AMSA people helped out to go to local places, we probably could have gotten more donations. Our biggest problem was we didn't have enough petitions. We should have had the 2 petitions but to only one representative (instead of to all of them) and more copies of them. We ran out! The photo display was only up one day; I think it would have been more effective if it was up all week and if the photos were blown up larger (we didn't have enough money). Overall, I was happy with how the event ran and the turn out at each event. |
| ADDITIONAL COMMENTS | |
| Comments | The benefit fundraiser was a great way to raise money and bring a school together for a cause. It was especially nice to have fellow students educate each other with thier experiences and the music varied from emotional (to correlate with the AIDS crisis) to fun juggling. I felt the petitions worked out a lot better than the call-in I organized last year. |
