Several Central Alberta Grandmothers put on their dancing shoes yesterday to draw peoples attention to the Aids Epidemic across the world.

For World AIDS Day, the Gramma-Link Africa and Turning Point organizations of Red Deer were showing their support for those living with the disease and remembering those who have died.

Shirley Challoner Chairperson of Grandma Link Africa says the flash mob idea took some warming up to for some of the grandmothers "there were a number that said you've got to be kidding, and I said come on we can go beyond our comfort zone and do this.  After all if our Grandmothers in Africa can do the kinds of things they do, the simplest thing we can do is go beyond our comfort zone and get out there and dance".

2016 is the Gramma-Link's 10th anniversary, as they support African Grandmothers struggling to care for millions of children orphaned by AIDS.

Turning Poing Executive Director Jennifer Vanderschaeghe says even today, 30 years after HIV was identified, people still don't know much about it "just yesterday I was sitting with a lovely group of women and I explained to them that HIV is not transmitted to fetuses inside the mom and it blew their mind.  And I thought here we are, we are at the really basic level of talking to people about how it is transmitted, but also how we can prevent it but also how we can support people living with HIV".

Ottawa announced another 3.5-million dollars yesterday in HIV-AIDS research funding, which Health Minister Jane Philpott says will support vaccine development research.

Groups in Edmonton and Calgary also participated in a Flash Mob.