Students were auctioned off with fun activities in order to raise awareness and money for pediatric AIDS at Alpha Lamba Sigma’s annual Red Gala in Gottesman on Friday.

Although several students were dressed in formal attire, formal attire was not required for students to come in and participate in the fundraiser.

The event started with an introduction to Alpha Lambda Sigma’s philanthropy with a short video describing the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation and why students should actively participate and donate to the cause.

“Everyone dresses up and it feels like an actual gala because that’s how it is in the real world. You get dressed up and remind everyone why they’re there. It’s one of our most popular events,” said Kayla Quinonez, a sister of Alpha Lambda Sigma.

The Red Gala is Alpha Lambda Sigma’s most popular and most successful fundraiser because it raises the most amount of money. Last year, ALS raised over $800 and expected to raise the same amount this year as well.

“People can easily drop hundreds on an event as fun as this. A lot of the people here already know each other and they want to support each other,” said Damian Nguyen, a junior at Pace.

Several sisters of Alpha Lambda Sigma and participants from other organizations participated and were auctioned off with fun activities.

“One of the sisters are auctioning off a free Dunkin date and someone else is cooking dinner for someone, so it’s all really fun stuff,” said Brianna Gonzalez, a sister of Alpha Lambda Sigma.

Several students that came to the event were severely touched by the cause because of personal experiences with the disease.

“My cousin died recently of AIDS. We had no idea that he had it because he kept it a secret for so long and he was in denial about it so he didn’t actively get treatment for it. I think it’s amazing what ALS is doing because it raises awareness for the cause,” said Nitara Ortiz, a junior at Pace.

Although a majority of the students felt happy and comfortable with the Red Gala, there were very few people that believed that the event was created in bad taste.

However, the event was a success the sisters of Alpha Lambda Sigma created a comfortable environment for students to participate and raise money for an important cause that can often be ignored.

“Coming and being involved at our Red Gala gives you the opportunity to be in a positive and fun environment, as well as raise money for our philanthropy. We see it as a way to bring people closer together for a way to bring people closer together for a cause we hold close to our hearts,” said Emma Moloney, president of Alpha Lambda Sigma.