Band Aids

Band AIDS (a musical concert for AIDS awareness) was the biggest event I organized till date. During a WTSC officers meeting in June 2005, Khun Rin asked us whether the WTSC would like to organize an AIDS awareness event funded by the Ministry of University Affairs (MUA)? I came up with the idea of organizing this musical concert for AIDS awareness. Then one thing led to another and after uncountable brainstorming session and meetings with WTSC members and volunteers, Band AIDS finally took place on 24 September, 2005.

The Vice Mayor of Hua Hin Municipality discussed the importance of AIDS awareness in the community and commenced the show. Eleven professional music bands along with a couple of local university bands performed at the events for several hours. An AIDS Poster Design and Poem Writing Contest were organized for local school children for creating awareness among the youngsters.

I was involved in each and every aspect of this show from inviting music bands to checking the finer details of the posters and flyers of the event. It was a painstaking job. I learned a lot from organizing this event and the help received from WTSC members and volunteers was exceptional.


Approximately eight hundred people came to the event and enjoyed the music and learned about AIDS. Event merchandise (T-shirt and Postcards), booths sales, and donations raised 34,000 Baht, which was donated to the Thai Red Cross Society’s AIDS Project on the eve of World AIDS day, 1 December, 2005.

Merchandise designed for the event


T-shirt


Postcard (Front)


Postcard (Back)

Posters and banner for the event


Poster and Flyer


Banner

Here is the speech I gave during the show.

I hope you have been enjoying the music. This four hour event is the result of four months of hard work. As hard as it might have been, it was also a lot of fun and a wonderful learning experience.

It was in June that we first conceived the idea of BandAids and then it was meetings, after meetings, after meetings, the last of which, believe it or not, ended at midnight yesterday. With every meeting, we came a step closer to the actualization of BandAids.

Right from the time work began, from deciding when BandAids was going to be held, what the posters would look like, what the actual event would consist of, to getting the people in Hua Hin involved, has been a truly enriching experience for everyone of us involved.

It has given us a great opportunity to get closer to the people here, through our various interactions with them. Being foreigners and getting to interact so closely with locals, has helped us understand Thai culture better. And most of all, this event has allowed us to give something in return to the community which has given us so much.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Webster University Thailand for the continuous support they have provided. All members in the student council deserve much appreciation for surviving all those meetings and for all the hard work they have put in. Dennes, president of the Student Council, Kishor, Vice president, Sajal, Secretary of the Student Council, Victor, our PR coordinator, Khun Rin, the student activities coordinator, and Frankie, our graphic designer, all deserve special thanks. I would also like to thank our beautiful MCs, Ren and Gift, for hosting this event.

And I dare not leave out all the people you see in white here, who have been actively involved in putting this event together.

And most of all, we would like to thank you, for making this event a success and helping us and the Thai Red Cross Society make a difference.

Thank You. Enjoy more music.

Deep and Richa helped me write the above speech.


Me while giving speech during the event

For more information and photos, visit Band AIDS web site.