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After a week of buzzer bashing, busking and bucket shaking around the St George’s, University of London campus, generous staff and students have helped raise a superb £2,000 for World AIDS Week (1-5 December 2008). Students and staff threw themselves into a series of events to raise money and awareness about HIV and AIDS last week, raising money to be split between Unicef and St George’s own HIV research.
While red ribbons were sold around campus all week, the jangle of rattling cash tins was joined by the sweet notes of the guitar and saxophone-wielding students who took part in a fundraising busking session in the Students’ Union Bar. The event was a big success and helped boost the cash total.
One of the week's highlights was the students versus staff University Challenge quiz in the Bar. Two lecturers, a senior social worker and an admissions administrator came off worst in a gruelling bout of mental combat with their students.
After slugging it out for round after round, just 20 points separated the two teams with a handful of questions to go. But a majestic final run of 70 points by the crack student team saw the staff left behind. The final score was 255 points to 165.
As well as the fundraising activities, there were a number of other events around St George’s intended to raise awareness about HIV, AIDS and the pioneering work being done by the institution’s own research teams.All week, students and staff were invited on guided tours of St George’s HIV research labs. Those who took the tour saw first-hand the innovative research into new HIV prevention products being done at the cutting-edge facility. They were treated to a peek through the windows of the Category III secured lab where researchers work with the HIV virus itself. And they were also able to examine a batch of genetically modified tobacco plants spliced with a rare form of algae that inactivates HIV - plants that researchers hope could one day provide cheap HIV drugs for the Developing World.
Throughout the week, students and staff visited London City Hall for an exhibition about the devastating global effect of HIV/AIDS and the efforts to solve the problem, by world-renowned photographer Ivo Saglietti. The “Hands For Life — Hands For Hope” exhibition finishes on Thursday (December 11). It includes photographs of St George's own research into HIV vaccines.
Other events included talks and discussions about HIV and AIDS.
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