In 1986 we lost Founding Father Alberto Rivera to complications brought on by HIV/AIDS. It is because of this that we adopted the philanthropy of HIV/AIDS Research and Awareness as our own and in doing so have been trailblazers in our philanthropy.

 

In May 2010, our brothers created the "Live Safe" campaign as a long-term national initiative to re-ignite our commitment to our national philanthropy-- HIV/AIDS Research and Awareness. Launching concurrently on colleges across the country, our members were challenged to use social media and other digital resources in order to fulfill the campaign's mission.

 

One of the campaign's initial undertakings was to increase the awareness of HIV and AIDS in the community. So, in the summer of 2010, a Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest was created. The contest had our members submit video clips of themselves, asking viewers to "live safe" and get tested. "Live Safe" immediately became viral and our brothers turned to Twitter and Facebook to continue spreading the campaign's message.

 

In addition, the "Live Safe" campaign helped establish a fundraising partnership with Aid for AIDS International, a 501(c)(3) organization committed to improving the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS. Thousands of dollars fund-raised through "Live Safe" efforts was in turn be donated directly to Aid for AIDS.

 

With "Live Safe" acting as a philanthropy aggregate, it soon evolved into a brand that the fraternity could associate all nationally-driven philanthropic efforts. "Live Safe" teams composed of brothers across the country would form for various large scale walk-a-thons, such as the annual AIDS Walk in New York. Chapters began fund-raising and donating proceeds towards the "Live Safe" efforts. And, in 2012, a new board position, National Director of Philanthropy and Community Affairs, was established to oversee its continued progress.

Today, "Live Safe" lives on as the Fraternity's manifested goal to service the community. It unifies and organizes the resources of brothers from all over the country, in order to make large, measurable, and impactful contributions towards the fight against HIV and AIDS.

 

All of our programs are coordinated by a handful of brothers that volunteer their time outside of academics and career. They are diverse group composed of undergraduates, graduates, and alumni and although they come from different walks of life, they all share a common passion for our national philanthropy.

 

Through “Live Safe,” the national fraternity works to engage its brothers and their communities on the issue, which according to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS affects more than 33 million people worldwide. Brothers connect students to local HIV testing centers, disseminate facts and statistics about the current state of the HIV/AIDS through workshops, campaign promotional materials and events, utilize media and campus outlets to support national HIV testing and awareness days, as well as work with schools to provide resources and materials to their students.

 

Most recently, Brother John Yates joined the campaign to share his story with college students across the country. “When I was diagnosed I was petrified and I felt alone. But this was because both my peers and myself were not educated. One of main reasons why I joined LSU was to work so that no one else will have to know that fear again,” say John Yates, Program Director of the Live Safe Campaign.