That particular goal is something that all the Democratic presidential candidates have all agreed to support.

"Six months ago, none of them knew if they were going to support it," Riek said. "But they do now. That's why we go out to the candidates and raise these issues."

The group has received full plans from both former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. They've also gathered signatures on a pledge to commit the $50 billion over five years from New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. Although no Republican presidential hopefuls have signed the pledge or written a detailed plan, Riek said there has still been progress.

"When we started out, we'd go ask… for instance, [Massachusetts] Gov. [Mitt] Romney a question about Global AIDS," she said. "We'd tell him that Global AIDS is a major crisis, especially to our national security because it destablizes regions. This is one way we can turn sentiment toward America — to show that we are a generous country as well as a strong country."

Riek said after giving a brief summary of the problem and how it can impact our nation, volunteers then ask for the monetary commitment.

"The first time we asked that question," Riek said, "Romney's answer was something along the lines of 'I don't know much about that program,'" she said. "That's surprising considering President George W. Bush started the initial program in 2003. We are going to spend $6 billion dollars this year on that program.

"Now, when we ask Gov. Romney that same question, he has stopped saying that he hasn't heard of the program and that he doesn't know much about it. Granted, his answer could be better, but he is saying that [it] is important to continue the program even if he will not commit to the $50 billion over 5 years. He wants to continue and expand upon the existing program and that's definitely a step in the right direction."

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain have both agreed to maintain treatment for one-third of AIDS-infected people around the world. Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is similar to Romney in that he had initially not heard about the program, but is now willing to say the program should be expanded and continued.

"I went to go talk to [former Tennessee Sen.] Fred Thompson last week," Riek said. "Two of us went and asked about the global AIDS crisis and if he would commit to treat one-third of people around the world in clinical needs. His answer was the shortest answer I've ever heard from a candidate in my life. The answer was, 'I've heard of the program. Don't know much about it.' And, that was his whole answer. He's new to the game and hasn't been in Iowa very much, but he's got a long way to go before he understands and recognizes that this is important."

Educating and informing the candidates, Riek said, is a job that's made easier by the fact that, for the most part, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is not a social hot-button issue.

"President Bush — the ultimate social conservative — is the one that got us the first $15 billion dollars," she said. "One of the things that can be challenging with the Global AIDS program — and one thing that people on the ground will often criticize — is that one-third of prevention funding has to go to abstinence-only education. I think that needs to change, but it is there right now. It's there because President Bush and Republicans in Congress want to keep it there."

Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life," is planning a conference in California at the end of November, just before World AIDS Day and has invited all the presidential candidates. Clinton has already agreed to attend and several others are working to rearrange their schedules so they can attend.

"[Warren] is part of the social conservative evangelical movement," Riek said. "And he's holding a conference where he is inviting people from across the aisle to talk about something that supersedes politics — something that's important beyond Republican versus Democrat. I think people in general realize that. We can nit-pick the edges of the program, but, what it comes down to, is that funding for Global AIDS is good and there aren't many people in this country who are going to say that it is bad."

Prayer Vigils Call for Comprehensive Plans

As a part of their public awareness and candidate "bird-dog" campaign, Iowans for AIDS Action will be holding five candlelight vigils on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 27. The vigils in Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Davenport, Iowa City and Decorah will feature people living with HIV, as walls as pastors and community leaders, while targeting presidential hopefuls who have not completed a comprehensive plan to fight AIDS.

"Christians in Iowa care about important issues of justice, like fighting AIDS at home and abroad," said Bishop Phillip Hougen of the Southeast Iowa Lutheran Church Synod, who plans to speak at the Iowa City vigil.

In Des Moines, the vigil will take place outside the Huckabee Headquarters, located at 6th and Locust. Participants should gather at 6 p.m. The Davenport vigil will be held at 1416 W. 16th Street, outside Clinton's headquarters. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. In Iowa City, the vigil will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 E. College, and will then march to the offices of Clinton and Giuliani. The Decorah event also begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be held on the campus of Luther College.

The Cedar Falls event will be held on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, outside Maucker Union. It begins at 5:30 p.m. and all the presidential candidates have been invited to attend.

"The AIDS crisis claims the lives of 3 million people a year, and treatment costs less than $100 per patient per year around the world," said Riek. "People are dying on waiting lists for AIDS drugs in this country. We need the candidates to recognize that the unnecessary death of millions can be prevented. It is our moral responsibility to address this."