Soap Opera Gives $50,000 to UCLA AIDS Center

UCLA’s AIDS care and research center received a $50,000 donation Monday from a rather unusual source--the soap opera “General Hospital.”

A soap opera may be a strange donor to UCLA but, in this case, a fitting one. AIDS has been a significant part of the story line on “General Hospital” for more than a year, and Dr. Steven Miles, a UCLA AIDS specialist, has been a consultant to the popular daytime show. In a tragic soap opera-style love story that has involved two teenage characters on the soap, Robin Scorpio and Stone Cates tested HIV positive. Boyfriend Cates died of an AIDS-related illness on the show in November.

ABC, which airs “General Hospital,” is using the story line as a way to educate and inform viewers about AIDS, says Scott Barton, media representative for the soap opera. Part of the network’s AIDS awareness promotion has been the publication of a book called “Robin’s Diary”--the published version of the character’s diary on the show.

All of the show’s proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to the UCLA CARE Center, Barton said.