UW-Madison alum Neil Willenson spoke Wednesday night in Memorial Union about a mission of education and love: Camp Heartland, a year-round camp for children infected with the HIV virus.

Willenson, founder and president of the camp, began his non-profit project in 1993 after reading reports in a local newspaper about AIDS hysteria.

He befriended the family of a 5-year-old HIV-positive boy named Nile Sandeen who was suffering the consequences of discrimination. With this as motivation, Willenson created the camp.

“Camp Heartland is about creating a place where kids can be themselves,” Willenson said. “Here, kids are able to share their secrets, maybe for the first time in their lives. We shouldn’t need a Camp Heartland, but the kids face overwhelming discrimination on top of everything else.”

The year-round camp is located in Willow River, Minn, and a two-week summer camp is located in Malibu, Calif. The California camp has had a variety of distinguished visitors, such as Brandy, Chris Tucker and Martin Luther King III.

With Willenson at the presentation were five children who attend the camp.

Niles Sandeen, now 16, was among the presenters. In his speech, he focused on the benefits that Camp Heartland provides in creating an environment of unconditional love and acceptance.

“Not even death can silence our voices or tear us apart — camp unites us. We have something to hold us together ? someone’s always there to lift us up,” Sandeen said.

A young girl named Tiffany read a poem dealing with the same issue — a desire for acceptance from other people.

“Hi, my name is Tiff. Would you like me if I told you I had HIV? Would you be my friend, please?”

Lupe Avendano, nicknamed “Survivor” by her friends because of her courageous battle with AIDS, also expressed this sentiment to the audience.

“I just want to thank everyone for being here and not being afraid of us,” she said.

Kara Chitwood, coordinator of the UW student organization Students for Camp Heartland, feels it is very important to get rid of this fear and replace it with compassion. The organization runs a series of fundraisers to help pay for the campers’ experience (the camp is funded entirely by non-government donations) and educates middle school students about AIDS.

SFCH meets at 8 p.m. every Tuesday at the Memorial Union.

About the program, Chitwood said, “It’s a life changer.”

Willenson said he is hopeful about the future for people suffering from AIDS and their acceptance in society. At the end of the presentation, Willenson lit a candle and continued to speak as the candle melted.

“If you can ever take a stand, do it. These courageous kids, and the people in this room right now, give me more hope than I could ever express. Keep this candle burning.”

More information about Camp Heartland and SFCH is available online at www.campheartland.org.