Emy Gelb, a volunteer from the Free the Children office came in November to speak on behalf of the office located downtown. Gelb shared information to try and influence their decision about the village they were considering adopting. Junior Jessica Moss is one of many who is part of the Free The Children Club and enjoys giving to those who are most in need. “The club as a whole decided a school in Ecuador as the way they are reaching out to help those in desperate conditions,” Moss says. Face Aids Club When she was 13, Paly graduate Hana Kajimura (10’), took a trip to Ethiopia to visit youth centers and heath clinics. Kajimura instantly became inspired when she was introduced to the HIV/ AIDS foundation; she wanted to make a difference and get involved in spreading the word to students. Her first instinct was to start a club at Paly, raising money and awareness to help out those in need. The result was the Face AIDS Club, which she started in 2009. The club is currently run by senior Victoria Tse, meeting in Matt Hall’s ASB room periodically during lunch. As of now, Facing AIDS Club members have planned a movie fundraiser. “We work to create projects for both women and men in Rwanda who are suffering from epidemic, allowing them to support themselves when knowing their
condition and how to prevent it,” Tse says. Spreading awareness at Paly of HIV/ AIDS the suffering populations in Rwanda is also one of the club’s goals. Tse says the Face AIDS Club comes together to brainstorm ideas to help out victims of AIDS/HIV. One of the ways the Face AIDS club lets students know the extent of the disease by making and passing out pink ribbon pins to spread awareness. Another example of how the club reaches out to spread awareness is the Fight Against AIDS/HIV Bike Ride, held every summer in Half Moon Bay since 2007. Around ten Facing Aids volunteers participate in the bike ride every year,
according to Tse. The Ride Against AIDS bike ride started in 2007 when two friends rode across America, raising money for the Face AIDS foundation. Austin Keeley, the Ride Against AIDS director, recruits riders from all over to ride for the cure every year. “This summer bikers will start at Half Moon Bay in the middle of June and arrive in Boston in the middle of August,” Keeley says. Their next big event will take place this December. v
From left to right James Maa, Xavier Mignot, Aaron Bajor and Vincent Gurle december 2011
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