Students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee contributed to the more than 2,500 walkers who took part in the 16th annual AIDS Walk of Wisconsin Sunday, raising more than $383,028.

Despite the pouring rain, walkers pushed through to complete the 6.2-mile walk.

The AIDS Walk was sponsored by the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin with proceeds furthering AIDS prevention education programs and health and social services programs for people affected by the disease.

The AIDS Walk of Wisconsin is the state’s single largest day of mobilization designed not only to raise funds, but also to raise public awareness about how to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

About 4,000 people turned out for last year’s event, which raised $414,176. Since its 1989 inception, the campaign has raised more than $8 million.

The American Student Dental Association, the College of Nursing, the Honors Program Student Association, the National Residence Hall Honorary, and Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood represented students and the walk this year.

UWM has been extremely supportive in the AIDS walk and other research events, AIDS Resource Center spokeswoman Kate Venne said. Pledges can still be made at www.arcw.org.

The Honors Program association raised almost $1,500 between 12 walkers and donations, said Bradley Wooten, team captain.

“The response we’ve had is inspiring and reminder how doing good for others feels good for oneself,” he said.

Robin Poedel is the team captain for the College of Nursing. A doctoral student, Poedel first got involved with AIDS Walk when she formed a team during her senior year as an undergraduate in 2003.

“Now that I am a grad student, I thought it would be fun to continue in the spirit of service that is so important within our college,” Poedel said.

The nursing team’s fund-raising goal is set at $1,000 and its walking goal is 20 recruits. So far, it has recruited 10 walkers and raised $415. Poedel said helping people who need it most in the spirit of compassion is very important, and not just to nurses.

“It is this inspiration that keeps me coming back every year to participate in this event,” she said.

Samantha Pack, team captain for the dental association, whose goal is to raise $100, said, “AIDS is not something that has gone away and I feel it is very important to keep people aware of that.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States at the end of 2003 was estimated between 1,039,000 and 1,185,000. Of these, the CDC reports that between 24 and 27 percent of people were undiagnosed and unaware of their infection status.

The number of people worldwide living with HIV at the end of 2004 was estimated at 39.4 million according to the most recent report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. In its report entitled “AIDS Epidemic Update 2004,” UNAIDS documents 4.9 million people newly infected with HIV in 2004.

In Wisconsin, 184 new AIDS cases were reported by the end of 2003, making the statewide cumulative number of reported AIDS cases 4,136 according tostatehealthfacts.org.

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Bradley Wooten contributed to this story.

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