Bright red balloons in the shape of a large ribbon swayed in the noontime air above the main quad as SF State students received free condoms and learned about safe sex at the 12th Annual Multicultural AIDS Awareness Day.

Members of Alpha Phi Omega organized the event along with SF State and San Francisco organizations to promote AIDS awareness across all cultural groups Wednesday.

“The whole purpose of us having it as multicultural is because we want to show that AIDS affects everyone,” event co-chair Melissa Dagdagan said. “No one culture is immune from it.”

The all-day event featured free HIV testing in the Student Health Center, as well as displays, performances and tables hosted by ethnic organizations in the community to promote AIDS education.

Jose Carrasco, 48, youth program manager at the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center in San Francisco’s Mission District, was at SF State with seven middle school students for another function when he came across the event.

“For a lot of communities that are economically disadvantaged, they tend to receive less information,” he said as he waved his students away and told them to go visit tables and exhibits. “I think it’s important to have multi-ethnic outreach to promote safe sex.”

Carrasco also said the event helped to promote AIDS education to varying age groups.

“I think education around safe sex is an around-the-clock necessity,” he said. “So I think that there has to be a constant cycle of the latest information around safe sex and healthy choices starting at a young age and even as people get older.”

Amanda Posadas, event co-chair and Alpha Phi Omega member, said the event is meant to reach everyone—even those unaffected by the disease.

“Some people think that since they don’t have AIDS, they shouldn’t care,” said Posadas,19 and a biochemistry major. “We’re trying to reverse that.”

Dagdagan agreed.

“Just because you don’t have AIDS doesn’t mean that you can’t be affected. What if your family member, loved one or friends has or gets it?” she said, referencing the event’s slogan: “Some are infected, but we are all affected.”

Thomas Li, co-chair of publicity, said the fraternity began planning the event in late January with weekly meetings and on weekends. He said about 70 people and 20 organizations both from campus and the city helped coordinate the event.

“We tailor our events according to our community,” said Li, a 19-year-old business and marketing major. “San Francisco is a very diverse community and we want to reflect that in the events we put together.”

Members of the Native American AIDS Project said they were excited to participate in the event for the first time.

“Our booth has been taken really well and we’re about to run out of condoms,” Nataani Guthrie, 28, of the San Francisco-based organization said.

The project tailors its outreach to be respectful and specific to Native American culture, offering resources such as pow-wows, ceremonies, prayer, as well as tobacco and drumming circles, Guthrie said.

“Although we are a Native American organization, we embrace everybody,” Guthrie said. “We don’t want anyone to get infected.”

Rebecca Callard, 18, was drinking coffee and walking with her boyfriend when she came across dozens of condom-constructed art displays lining the walkways in front of the student center.

“I love the pirate condom,” Callard, an art history major, said of a latex condom blown up to resemble a pirate’s head complete with eye patch, hat and feather mustache. “This is an exciting event.”

Gavin Murray, Callard’s boyfriend, examined a model of France’s Eiffel Tower constructed out of blue, red and green condom packets.

“It certainly lets people know that condoms are available and that they have many uses, sizes, shapes, colors and flavors,” Murray, 19, undeclared, said.

Joking aside, Murray said the event was important.

“It’s good to know what’s out there and how to protect yourself,” Murray said.