Jennifer Calderon, LVN
“I love helping people” Read Jennifer’s profile in our Progress Report>>

Nancy Redler, RN
“I enjoy the patient contact and seeing patients reach their optimal health status.”

Pat Walthers, PHN
“What I love most about nursing is making a positive difference in the lives of my clients/patients.”

Coleen Earhart, LVN
“The best thing about being a nurse is the feeling I get when I am helping others who are in need.”

Trista Baker, LVN
“I love working with my patients. I love knowing that the work I do truly invokes positive change in my patients lives. Being a nurse is one of the few professions where I get to make brighter tomorrows.”

Christine Bielawa, RN
“I like helping people.”

Candace Green, MSN, FNP, BC
“What I love most about nursing is how many different types of jobs there are for nurses. You can work directly with patients or, you need never touch a patient. If you are skilled with computers, there is a nursing job that uses those skills. The choices are endless.”  Read Candace Green’s spotlight in DAPCAN>>

In honor of National Nurses Week we ask that you take a moment and join us in a collective THANK YOU to the D.A.P. nursing staff for all that they do for their patients at Desert AIDS Project!

A newly consigned, appraised art collection is being offered by David Peet and the late Earl Greenburg. But if your walls are already filled with art, maybe it’s time to let the rest of your room have a bit of fun … with a purchase or two from the “Hollywood Swank” line of new furniture by Michael Amini and Jane Seymour.

If home décor is not your current interest, Revivals Palm Desert is sure to tempt you with its “new” offerings of consigned and donated designer clothing. And, if you’re more the kind to sit and enjoy a new book with your wine and hors d’oeuvres, you’re going to want to meet Bruce Korbin, author of “Stars and Celebrities” who will be at this special After-Hours Preview.

Don’t wait. RSVP now to 760-992-0499 or by email to jerickson@desertaidsproject.org.

Your purchases at all Revivals stores benefit client services at Desert AIDS Project, which serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

No need to fear this Friday the 13th event because co-chairs Kenny Jervis, Michael Crisp and the Ace’s very own beloved Dennis Hernandez have a non-stop evening of fun planned with entertainment, dancing, cocktails from six hosted bars, tray-passed hors d’oeuvres (fancy!) and more. The dance party will feature DJ Michael Antonio, dancers from SHARE Nightclub in Las Vegas and a performance by dance music icon Kristine W whose long list of #1 hits include “Feel What You Want,” “One More Try,” “Land of the Living,” “Save My Soul” and many more.

More than 700 party-goers are expected this year, so more parking and beverage stations have been added. But the general admission ticket price remains unchanged at $45. For those who’d like a quieter spot –- but still near the action — to relax over organic cocktails and a special dessert bar, $75 will afford them access to the VIP Suite, which just happens to be three times larger this year. VIP tickets will be limited to 75 and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Every admission ticket (VIP or not) includes an annual membership to Red Band, a donor program that purchases at least three HIV test kits for every membership, used at D.A.P.’s 20+ sites offering free and confidential HIV testing. “Wearing the Red Band shows the world that you’ve pledged to be a part of the solution –- right here in our community -– to a worldwide problem,” says David Brinkman, CEO of DAP. “The Coachella Valley has offered great support to us over our almost 28 years of service, so we’re glad we can offer a little fun in return.”

In addition to founding members, Kimberly Nichols and Scott Hines, the 2012 Host Committee includes Chad Ballard, Bella da Ball (the Ace’s Trivia Night hostess!), Kathleen Bennett, Ryan Cummings, Ben Fenn, Manny de la Rosa, Trini Garza, Albert Gonzales, Lonny Gorrill, Kerry Hendrix, Mark Jones, Jeff Jones, Nick Joseph, Kandy Lee, Mac Meehan, Jerry Meza, John Moore, Alexis Ortega, Paul Parkinson, Antonio Peñaloza-Nieto (Trio), David Pennington, Greg Pettis, Greg Polzin, Willie Rhine, Denise Rodriguez-Bowman, Brian Vatcher and Larry & Laurie Weitz. Sponsors include Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Kenny Jervis & Michael Crisp, SIR Entertainment, The Bottom Line, Brighthaus Marketing, Classic Party Rentals and LIVE Magazine.

For tickets or further information, please visit DesertAIDSProject.org/go/danceparty or call 760-969-5743.

You can also learn more on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube about how Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves.

On Wednesday June 27th, National HIV Testing Day, the Pathways to Health and Well-Being HIV Conference will address these changes as well as provide an exciting program of nine breakout sessions targeted to those infected with HIV, their caregivers, family and friends.

The Pathways to Health and Well-Being conference is a collaboration between the County of Riverside departments of Public Health and Mental Health, Desert AIDS Project, and other community-based organizations. The conference will provide the latest information on such topics as Treatment as Prevention, Hepatitis and HIV Co-Infections, HIV & Holistic Health, HIV & Aging and much more. The goal of the conference is encourage all individuals to know their HIV status, and to empower those living with HIV to become better advocates for their own health, stay connected with care, and optimize their health and well-being.

Dr. Neva Chauppette, a licensed psychologist, will be the keynote speaker. She is an exciting, well known and respected psychologist, consultant and trainer that has worked in the field of substance abuse and HIV since 1988. Dr. Chauppette is Project Director of a mobile medical clinic that provides free and comprehensive HIV, Hepatitis ABC, and STD services to substance abusers in and out of treatment. She is also the Clinical Director of an outpatient, day treatment program for women of color living with multiple morbidities, such as HIV, HCV, psychiatric illness, and substance misuse.

Registration opens at 8:00 AM. The conference begins at 9:00 AM and will run until 3:30 PM. Spanish translation services will be available. Free lunch will be provided. There will be drawings for door prizes at the conclusion of the conference.

Anyone wishing to learn more about HIV/AIDS is welcome to attend the conference. Free and confidential HIV testing – with results in about 20 minutes – and “HIV 101” sessions will be offered. In addition, a Resource Room staffed with eligibility workers and early intervention counselors will be available throughout the day.

Since 2006, people in the Coachella Valley have known that making a springtime donation to client services at Desert AIDS Project is as easy as having breakfast, lunch, or dinner – or all three – on the last Thursday in April. This year, participating restaurants from Palm Springs and Cathedral City to Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert are generously donating 33% to 75% of their sales from Thursday, April 26 to D.A.P., who is hoping to beat last year’s total of just over $100,000 raised.

Bank of America returns for its seventh consecutive year as Presenting Sponsor for Dining Out for Life. “Our friends at Bank of America have been by our sides with Dining Out for Life since we first did it as a fundraiser in 2006,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project.” They seem to be our good luck charm because each year, we’ve secured more participating restaurants and raised more money. This year, we have ten partners that are participating for all meals – with our good friends Harold Matzner and Eric Wadlund at Spencer’s donating 75% of the day’s sales from all three meals! ”

“This year, the ‘location-aware’ feature of smart phones, like the iPhone and Android, will let people tap into a list of participating restaurants based on their current location,” said Brett Klein, Event Manager at D.A.P. “The mobile site will let them sort or search alphabetically, by cuisine, or by the amount a restaurant they’re considering is donating from that one day’s sales to D.A.P.”

As a member of the national Dining Out for Life board of directors and chair of its social media committee, Klein is excited that D.A.P. will once again also be employing Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, and Twitter to help volunteer “restaurant ambassadors” fill their chosen restaurants. In addition, a lot of local restaurants are already using Open Table, an international sponsor for Dining Out for Life and a leading, online provider of free, real-time restaurant reservations for diners.

Participating restaurants signed up thus far include Acqua Pazza, Amici Italian Restaurant, Azul Restaurant, Benny’s Bagels Palm Desert, Billy Reed’s, Brushfire Grill, Cello’s, Circa 59 @ Riviera Palm Springs, Citron Restaurant at the Viceroy Hotel, Copley’s On Palm Canyon, DiGS Bar, Eddie’s Frozen Yogurt, El Mirasol (South), El Mirasol at Los Arboles, Escena Lounge & Grill, Espresso Cielo, Hamburger Mary’s, Hunters Nightclub, Il Sogno, Jake’s, Johnny Costa’s Ristorante, King’s Highway at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club, Leon’s Grill at the Desert Princess, LG’s Prime Steakhouse, LULU California Bistro, The Mirage Bistro at Wally’s Desert Turtle, Miro’s Restaurant, The Muse Café at the Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Greens Café, Peabody’s Café, Pinocchio’s in the Desert, Rainbow Bar & Grill, Riccio’s Steak and Seafood, Rio Azul Mexican Bar & Grill, Rock Garden Bar & Grill, Roscoe Grill, Spencer’s Restaurant, Sunshine Cafe, Trio Restaurant, The Tropicale, Wang’s in the Desert, Zin American Bistro, and Zini Café Med.

Dining Out for Life is a fundraising venture for outstanding HIV/AIDS service organizations and programs throughout the United States and Canada. Since 1991, Dining Out has been produced by local HIV/AIDS service organizations, ensuring that funds stay in the community where they are raised.

http://www.desertaidsproject.org/fundraising-at-dap/dining-out-for-life/

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

In case you weren’t able to join us at the 18th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards on February 11, you may not have heard the announcement of her $1 million gift, establishing

The Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center at Desert AIDS Project

With lung cancer being the #2 most likely cause of death for people living with HIV/AIDS – not to mention significant threats for liver, cervical, oral, and anal cancers – it has long been a dream of ours to establish this kind of care at D.A.P.

You’ll find more details about The Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center and Annette’s further generosity to D.A.P. by clicking on the icon below for our Spring 2012 Progress Report. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to click through the pages and see:

• Videos of our new “Make A Difference, Save a Life” public service campaign
• Video of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent speech about encouraging news about a renewed commitment to “Creating an AIDS-Free Generation”
• Our wonderful volunteers, including our “Condom Club” who meets monthly to assemble hundreds of safer sex kits … and seven new additions to D.A.P.’s board of directors.
• Employee spotlights on two of our medical staff members, including HIV Specialist Jean Davis.
• The volunteer editors who put together DAPCAN, the weekly electronic newsletter that keeps clients up-to-date about everything that’s going on at D.A.P. and the larger world of HIV/AIDS developments.
• Take a video tour of the 2012 Steve Chase gala on pages 12-13 by listening to the award honorees … hearing the songs … seeing “the sizzle reel” … and watching Annette Bloch make her VERY generous gift.

• Hear Annette Bloch tell you why she decided to become involved with D.A.P. after taking a tour and hear Karolee Sowle, CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center, tell you why she and Annette are both members of 100 WOMEN, the annual giving program to meet the needs of women and children affected by or at-risk for HIV/AIDS.

But we couldn’t do what we do at D.A.P. without YOUR help. If we are to make good on the Secretary Clinton’s promise of an AIDS-Free Generation, we must continue our commitment to stopping the spread of HIV right here in our community and getting everyone into care at D.A.P. that needs our help.

Until there’s a cure …

David Brinkman, MBA
CEO, Desert AIDS Project

Read our previous reports here:

On April 1, the Palm Desert Revivals store will be holding its inaugural First Sunday Art Salon with a showcase of 25 original oil paintings. These works, representative of the signature Palm Springs Mid-Century style, have been consigned by the estate of an abstract expressionist who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1960s. The paintings show a wide variety of contemporary influences, including Margo, Tanguy, Hoffman, and de Kooning.

Each First Sunday Art Salon will offer new art donations and consignments for the first time, so even if you think you’ve already seen all the art the Revivals Palm Desert store has to offer, you need to visit again. All of the Revivals stores regularly receive quality art donations and the Palm Desert Revivals accepts consignments of art on a limited basis.

If you are interested in making a consignment of art, furniture, jewelry, china, designer clothing, or other items of quality, please call 760-835-7974 to arrange an appointment at the store nearest you or send an email to rcasidine@desertaidproject.org.

Visit Revivals online at www.revivalsstores.com or call 760-323-3662 for a free pick-up of your gently-used items. All sales at Revivals benefit Desert AIDS Project, serving people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

This event at the Tool Shed has raised more than $35,000 for local charities over its 10 years and bar owner Chris Rees says he’s hoping to get even greater community support for the effort next year.

“The gay community in the Palm Springs area has never wavered in its support of our care, prevention, and advocacy efforts,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “But while men who have sex with men continue to be at significant risk, this has never been a ‘gay disease.’ That’s why we continue to reach out to all segments of the population – not only to lend their financial support, like our friends at the Tool Shed – but to help us get everyone tested for HIV on a regular basis.”

Pictured from left to right: Dale Luna, bartender at Tool Shed and Event Assistant; Tim Bridges, Bridges Editorial & Graphics and Event Coordinator; George Puddephatt, President of PSLOD; Dennis Cramer, Mr. Tool Shed Leather 2003 and originator of the Art Expo; David Brinkman, Desert AIDS Project CEO; Chris Rees, Owner of Tool Shed; and Leo Newcomb, treasurer of PSLOD.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Here at D.A.P., for the past couple years, our community health educators have been visiting the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians to talk about HIV prevention and how substance abuse, like excessive alcohol consumption, can lead people into behaviors that may put them at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. This year, the Torres Martinez Indian Reservation invited us to speak to their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program participants. TANF is a social services organization within the tribe that provides assistance to Native American families with children with a special focus put on traditional values and cultural awareness with a goal of leading clients along the path to self-sufficiency. Desert AIDS Project will provide HIV/AIDS education and free HIV testing on Wednesday, March 21.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have a fact sheet detailing the current epidemic among the Native community in the United States.

More information

For additional information visit these sites:

• National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.org- The official site for this HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Find out more about the history of the day, as well resources and education materials
  http://www.nnhaad.org
• Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center – The Banyan Tree Project has a collection of videos clips and public service announcement that talk about the impact of HIV/AIDS in Asian & Pacific Islander Communities as well as support and encourangement for HIV testing.
  http://www.banyantreeproject.org/videos.php
• CA7AE: HIV/AIDS Prevention Project – CA7AE’s selection includes three public service announcements that target Native women, Two-spirit/Gay Natives and the Native population overall.
  http://www.happ.colostate.edu/media.html
• National Native American AIDS Prevention Center [NNAAPC] – NNAAPC’s public service announcement selection includes videos designed to promote HIV testing among the LGBTTS Native Community as well as Native women.
  http://www.nnaapc.org/resources/campaigns.htm

“We were over the moon by the response of so many generous people that already have our net profit total at well over $50,000 going to client services at D.A.P.!” said Ms. Keller, whose “Midnight in Paris” themed dinner on Monday was one of the more popular choices of 11 dinners over four nights. “My husband Jerry and I had an absolutely wonderful time hosting our dinner. And it’s always fun to play ‘dress up,’ isn’t it? I’m not sure but I believe Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald floated by at some point.”

Since there were multiple dinners on all but one of the four evenings – with the hosts completely picking up the tab for food and, at many of the dinners, entertainment – there was a lottery drawing to determine whether diners would get their first choice.

“I think the lottery party that Kenny Jervis and Michael Crisp hosted at their home on February 21 got things off to a great start because it was a blast by itself, even before the dinners began on March 12,” said Kaufer, whose “Sing It Again Sam!!” dinner on Thursday featured the in-person song stylings of Sam Harris. “And a BIG thank you to our friends at Windermere and Time Warner Cable.”

Presenting Sponsor Windermere Real Estate underwrote all of the printing and marketing expenses for the Second Annual Dinner At My Place. The lottery results pre-party was hosted by Time Warner Cable SignatureHome and featured the latest and greatest in TV and home technology, in addition to great hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

On behalf of the more than 2,200 clients it serves, Desert AIDS Project extends its sincere thanks to all of the sponsors and dinner hosts, who also included Gregory Seller and Pasquale Bettino, Juliana and Andrew Manion Copley, Greg Butterfield, Jim Casey and Jason Altieri, Tom Jakway and Stephen Tripp, Bennett Puterbaugh, Dr. Tracy Conrad, Mindy Reed, Philip Cooper, Scott Van Dyke, Michael Johnston and David Zippel, Harold Matzner, Eric Wadlund, Willie Rhine and Albert Gonzalez, Ron Celona and Scott Sherman, and Melissa Morgan.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The Governor’s most recent proposed budget for 2012-2013 would eliminate the special set-asides in the University of California’s budget for programs like the California HIV/AIDS Research Program in an effort to give the UC more management in it’s own budget. The California HIV Alliance opposes this proposal for a number of reasons, which you can read here.

The California HIV/AIDS Research Program is a significant vessel for HIV/AIDS research in the state regarding treatment, prevention, and care. Maintaining its current levels of funding are crucial to the development of sound HIV/AIDS policies and furthered improvement of HIV/AIDS services in California. The California Senate hearing on this item happens on Thursday, March 15. We’ll be sure to post any important updates regarding potential funding for this research.

“With a local infection rate that averages three times the national rate, we knew that we had to find a way to continue offering this essential service,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Partners like the Riverside County HIV/STD Program and donors through our Red Band program have been invaluable to us in keeping that commitment.”

The county program recently gave D.A.P. an additional $15,000 – supplementing the $25,000 they’ve already awarded for the current fiscal year. Red Band donors make a contribution of $45 or more annually to a program that funds the purchase of at least three rapid-result HIV test kits.

“It’s this kind of support that’s helped us to expand our HIV testing venues to 27 testing venues throughout Riverside County,” continued Brinkman. “We test from Hemet to Banning to Blythe, as well as in multiple locations right here in the Palm Springs area.”

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling, as well as free and confidential HIV testing. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

The one-hour reading will be followed by a Q&A session. Those considering attending should be aware that some “adult language” will be used throughout the reading.

All are invited to this free production of the work of “The Poz Effect” writers’ group at Desert AIDS Project, founded by Skip Warren, who has been living with HIV for 25 years. “Imagine you are diagnosed with HIV and told that you have six months to live,” said Warren. “Now imagine that after eight years you’re told you have another 10 years to live … and after those 10 years, you’re now told that you have a manageable disease.”

Dealing with this all-too-real pinball game of life and death, knocked about by multiple medications and daunting side effects, is made even more challenging for many as they deal with the fear, stigma, and isolation that still surround the perception of HIV/AIDS in many people’s minds. “The Poz Effect” was formed to help participants find personal expression for their individual stories.

As the writers continued to explore their feelings and get them on paper, they have presented their work on two occasions at D.A.P., each time to audiences of 50+. Each time, they have received a standing ovation for the raw, emotional truth that each of them has shared.

“There was a time when cancer was only spoken of in whispered voices, as if the person living with it was somehow at fault for his or her disease,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “But having a disease – whether it’s cancer, AIDS, or any other – should never have blame or shame attached to it. Rather, we should rally around the person afflicted and do whatever we can to help. D.A.P. is so pleased that these four brave individuals have chosen to share their life experiences with our community.”

Warren added, “We hope that our reading will encourage anyone in the audience on April 19 to consider joining us and finding their own voice. That’s what’s happened for us, as we’ve explored what our lives have been, where we are now individually, and the hope that we have for the future. We hope to be a small part of changing the perception of HIV/AIDS.” Anyone interested in learning more may contact Skip Warren at cletus.warren@yahoo.com.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Attendees will meet Jane Pecinovsky Fowler and hear how her HIV infection in later life has led to her work to serve the under-represented community of older women with HIV. Fowler, retired from more than 30 years as a career journalist, is helping to raise public awareness that HIV infection can and does impact mid-life and older women.

Following her HIV diagnosis in 1991, Fowler became an activist and public speaker in 1995. She was a co-founder of the National Association on HIV Over Fifty (NAHOF) and went on to found an organization called HIV Wisdom for Older Women, dedicated to HIV prevention and care, in 2002 that she continues to lead today.

“Older women are often overlooked in HIV prevention education and testing because it is incorrectly assumed that they no longer engage in sexual relations,” said Tammy Fox, secretary of the board of directors of Desert AIDS Project. “But many older women who test HIV-positive face a double stigma – that of living with a disease that the uninformed consider disgraceful, combined with aging in a society that sometimes seems to neither value nor respect age.” Ms. Fox is not only an active member of 100 WOMEN but received their community service award at the 2011 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala.

Those interested in attending on April 12, are asked to RSVP to Sue Knollenberg by calling 760-323-9641 or emailing her at sknollenberg@desertaidsproject.org.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The celebrities: “Renaissance woman” and Palm Springs icon Suzanne Somers is one of America’s most popular and beloved celebrities. Her more-than-three-decades career has more facets than the jewel we already know her to be. Perhaps most recently celebrated as a dedicated and knowledgeable health advocate and author of 22 books – including a number of New York Times bestsellers – her appearance at Celebrity Doodles will remind everyone why she was named “Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year.”

TV funnyman Scott Nevins will once again will host the benefit for client services at Desert AIDS Project. Some of those already scheduled to join Scott include Bobbie Eakes from “All My Children” and lately appearing in “Hairspray” here in Palm Springs; writer/producer Del Shores and actress Ann Walker of “Sordid Lives” fame; the hysterically funny Estelle Harris, perhaps best known from “Seinfeld”; Broadway’s Erich Bergen; musician/actor/novelist Ahmet Zappa; Eduardo Xol of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”; Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley from “The Real Housewives of Orange County”; and veteran soap opera hotties Walt Willey, Jacob Young, and Vincent Irizarry.

The doodles: As orchestrated by the “Doodle-Master” Alan Hamel, these might be anything from paintings, drawings, sketches, sculptures … whatever. Who knows what creativity lurks in some of those minds? Last year’s event included nearly 100 items from Lily Tomlin, Rich Little, Rosie O’Donnell, Alan Hamel and many more. Local radio personality Bill Feingold even offered a Doodled Noodle, so just imagine the “pasta-bilities” this year!

Don’t miss this opportunity to add a little bit of celebrity to your personal art collection with the imaginative doodles that are sure to be offered this year … while enjoying delicious food and festive cocktails. At $125 each, tickets to this limited capacity event are going fast … visit www.celebritydoodles.com now to get yours!

For those visiting from out of town, Renaissance Palm Springs has generously offered a special $99 rate for this weekend of star-gazing. Thanks to them and other Celebrity Doodles patrons, including TRIO Restaurant, LULU California Bistro, Melissa Morgan Fine Art, LIVE Magazine, and many others.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The tragic news of Whitney Houston’s death just shortly before the gala began shook some of the performers … but as true professionals, Queen Latifah, Wynonna Judd, Megan Mullally, and David Burnham all delivered incredible performances.

Our honorees – Peter Gallagher, Karolee Sowle, Andrew Green, Hydeia Broadbent, and Matt Bomer – delivered touching, inclusive acceptance speeches that reminded us that we’re all in this together. A special thanks to our incredible sponsors, donors, and volunteers who “walk that walk” every day through their generous donation of time, talent, and money to Desert AIDS Project.

The biggest news of the evening came when Annette Bloch announced a $1 MILLION gift to create the Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center at D.A.P.!!

Annette Bloch announces her gift of $1 million to D.A.P. for cancer care

Her news inspired others during the “Fund a Need” section of our live auction, raising an additional $120,000 for client care and social services. Those pledging $10,000 included John Conboy, Jim Burba and Bob Hayes, Michael Johnston and David Zippel, and Terri and Bart Ketover. Pledging $5,000 each were Earl Gauger, Jim Houston, Jim Hurley, Harold Matzner, Cookie and Mike Miller, and Kirstin Pollack.

Among those cheering the loudest was Jim Casey, CEO of Integrated Wealth Management, now in the fourth year of a five-year, million-dollar commitment as Presenting Sponsor of the annual gala. Jim and his gala co-chair, the resplendent Barbara Keller, have done an amazing job for the fourth consecutive year.

Although I’m not sure HOW they’re going to do it, they are promising to REALLY knock our socks off with next year’s gala … so put February 9, 2013 on your calendar now!!

Returning once again as Pinnacle Sponsor at $125,000 was Wells Fargo, represented by Tim Hanlon, attending the gala with his partner, Tony Klatt. Harold Matzner, Time Warner Cable, and Walgreens, each provided $50,000 as Producing Sponsors. Annette Bloch, Desert Regional Medical Center, and Helene Galen each contributed $25,000 for the third consecutive year as Award Sponsors, as did our Major Sponsors The Auen Foundation, Eisenhower Medical Center, Integrated Mortgage Management, and Union Bank. I hope you will join me in thanking and supporting all of these wonderful people and organizations. For a complete list of the gala’s Star and Supporting Sponsors, Benefactors, and Patrons, please see our website.

The live auction portion of the evening – raising $95,500 – included THREE catered affairs by LULU from Barbara and Jerry Keller and Wille Rhine, a VIP Experience for “The Book of Mormon” in New York City, a party package from Milan Tojagic of Shame on the Moon, and a car donated by FIAT of Palm Springs.

A final thank you to all of our media sponsors and the press that covered the gala. Thanks to them, we received incredible coverage in Palm Springs, nationwide through E! News, and around the world through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. For more photos of the event, please visit the D.A.P. website, our Facebook page, or the Wire Image website.

The final accounting of the 18th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards is still being completed. We don’t yet know if we’ll achieve our goal of $1.5 million raised but we DO know – yet again – how incredibly fortunate we are to have the support of all of you.

Until there’s a cure …

David Brinkman, MBA
CEO, Desert AIDS Project

“I was so impressed from the very first time I met the amazing group of people on-staff and otherwise associated with Desert AIDS Project, as donors and volunteers,” said Mrs. Bloch. “The work that my late husband, Dick, and I began so many years ago made me realize that I must do something to share in this important work. That’s why I am creating the Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center at Desert AIDS Project with a gift of one million dollars.”

Mrs. Bloch spoke movingly of her late husband’s diagnosis with cancer and the resulting commitment they developed to helping other cancer patients. Along the way, they continued to educate themselves on this multi-varied disease that has been deeply researched for decades but not yet produced a cure.

“Having learned some time ago that people with HIV are more likely than other people to develop certain types of cancer, I felt this gift might help to extend the compassionate care I saw at D.A.P. to become even more comprehensive for those clients also living with cancer,” said Mrs. Bloch. “This may not cure anyone of AIDS or cancer … I wish it was in my power to do so … but it will help to alleviate suffering while helping to advance the science of what we know about treating AIDS patients with cancer.”

Brinkman expressed the gratitude felt by everyone affiliated with Desert AIDS Project when he said, “This will allow us to broaden our base of medical care in a way we could have only dreamed about before Annette’s very generous gift. With the uncertain future of ongoing government funding for AIDS programs, we rely more heavily than ever on the generosity of our donors, who were so generous in their support at our 18^th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards.”

Initial numbers indicate that the 2012 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala will beat last year’s total of $1.35 million – the most raised yet by the annual black-tie fundraiser benefiting client services at Desert AIDS Project. D.A.P. is grateful for the generosity of the sponsors who helped underwrite the evening’s expenses and all of those who purchased tickets. In addition to approximately $95,000 raised from the silent auction and $95,500 from the live auction, more than $100,000 was contributed by attendees during the Fund a Need portion of the evening, which tied donation levels to the services that it would allow D.A.P. to continue providing.

Although D.A.P. seeks to meet the needs of all people living with HIV/AIDS, only about 26% of its $12.3 million annual budget comes from the federal Ryan White program, which functions as a “payer of last resort” for some of the medical needs of PLWHA. With 45% of all D.A.P. clients living at or below the federal poverty level of $10,890 – compared with the average Palm Springs household income of $44,025 – ongoing funding continues to be a challenge that signature events like the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards continue to help meet.

Echoing that need, Annette Bloch closed the announcement of her gift by saying, “I am asking that you continue to be inspired to give to Desert AIDS Project. Please help them continue the incredible humanitarian work they have been doing for 27 years. Be a part of changing people’s lives forever. Thank you.”

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

With suits, blazers, skirts, sweaters, pants, shoes, scarves, and more, the collection includes designs by Escada, Amen Wardy, S. Balian, Alan Austin, Sonia Rykiel, Armani, Tous Les Jours, Begedor, WORTH, Donna Karan, Gloria Sachs, Michael Kors, Karl Lagerfeld, Manolo Blahnik, and others.

Coming from the estate of the late Sheila Greenrock, the collection was part of a bequest to Revivals, to benefit client services at Desert AIDS Project. As a well-known Beverly Hills interior designer, Greenrock was a contemporary of Steve Chase, namesake of the 18th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala, which has raised millions since 1995 for D.A.P. As a testament to her admiration of his talent, Greenrock even had a Steve Chase Bedroom Suite in her home.

Adding some additional flavor to the event will be a variety of portfolio pictures of many of Greenrock’s interior design projects from the iconic Mid-Century Modern period. Her work was featured in Los Angeles Home and Garden Magazine and Architectural Digest. While comfortable working in either contemporary or traditional modes, Greenrock was quoted as saying “My favorite client is one who wants an environment that can become more personal with time.”

In addition to Greenrock’s inaugural donation to the Designer Clothing Consignment Department, consignment items at Revivals include furniture, artwork, fine crystal, china, silver, and other high-end, pre-owned items. Anyone interested in consigning items at any Revivals store – from a single item to an entire household – in the Coachella Valley, should call 760-835-7974 or email rcasadine@desertaidsproject.org. For consignments in San Diego, please call 760-323-2118, ext. 730 or email bsypherd@desertaidsproject.org.

Complimenting consignments and the value-priced section of gently-used donated items at all Revivals stores, the new merchandise sections of the stores are growing quickly in popularity throughout the chain. Perfect for the buyer who wants brand-new quality at lower prices, new merchandise includes leather sofas from just $489, as well as rugs, lamps, artwork, jewelry, watches, and handbags. The Palm Desert Revivals store is the exclusive Coachella Valley dealer of the Michael Amini collection and the Jane Seymour furniture line, “Hollywood Swank,” recalling the Hollywood Regency period.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

On the eve of the annual return of “The Steve Chase” to the Palm Springs Convention Center, Heather James Gallery will be filled with beautiful music – as well members of D.A.P.’s 100 WOMEN and Partners for Life major donor programs and the generous Steve Chase sponsors who help to make it all possible. The invitation-only party begins at 6:00 PM on Friday, February 10^th.

Local community honorees, Karolee Sowle and Fr. Andrew Green, respectively receiving the 100 WOMEN Award and Partners for Life Award for 2012, will join those being entertained by a troupe of Broadway singers and performers brought together for the evening by Live It Up Productions. All of them will be singing back-up roles the following evening for Queen Latifah, Wynonna Judd, and David Burnham at the gala. Some of the performers’ credits include lead roles in Broadway shows such as Hairspray, RENT, The Lion King, Cats, Sunset Boulevard, and tours with the legendary Bette Midler and Matthew Morrison of TV’s GLEE.

The dynamic co-chair team of Barbara Keller and Jim Casey has made sure to ratchet up the entertainment value of the gala each of the four years they’ve been at the helm. But they know they wouldn’t have a chance of beating last year’s total raised of $1.35 million if it weren’t for the support of D.A.P.’s donors and sponsors.

“As much hard work as it is putting a gala like this together, it’s incredibly satisfying as well,” said Casey. “But hitting these fundraising totals is more than just a challenge for the entire committee that makes Barbara and I look so good. These funds are essential to making sure that Desert AIDS Project doesn’t miss a day of providing essential AIDS services, as well as free and confidential HIV testing to slow the infection rate.”

As CEO of Integrated Wealth Management, presenting sponsor of the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, Casey has made a five-year, million dollar commitment to Desert AIDS Project through the annual gala. Others have also renewed their commitment, while some new sponsors have joined the effort. These include Wells Fargo as Pinnacle Sponsor; Producing Sponsors Harold Matzner, Time Warner Cable, and Walgreens, Award Sponsors Annette Bloch, Desert Regional Medical Center, and Helene Galen; Major Sponsors The Auen Foundation, Eisenhower Medical Center, Integrated Mortgage Management, and Union Bank; plus a long list of Supporting Sponsors, Benefactors, and Patrons.

“As Desert AIDS Project fights complacency and helps clients overcome the stigma that, remarkably, still exists after 30 years of AIDS, we are so grateful to the sponsors who help make this gala possible,” said Keller. “With their help, we think this year’s gala will be the best yet.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

(PALM SPRINGS, CA – January 31, 2012)

When last year’s inaugural Dinner at My Place event – in which diners chose from a variety of food and entertainment extravaganzas all on the same evening – the only complaint heard was “Why do I have to choose just ONE?”

Co-chairs Barbara Keller and Steve Kaufer made note and got busy planning a multi-evening food-and-fun opportunity. This year, from Monday, March 12 through Thursday, March 15, Dinner at My Place will offer 11 enticing parties, each smartly planned by hosts who might be feeling just a bit of friendly competition, to see whose dinner is the most popular.

Nearly 3,000 invitations have already been mailed, asking who might be interested in setting their watches to “Midnight in Paris,” a little bit of “Broadway Comes to the Desert,” hanging out “With the Ghost of Cary Grant,” attending “The School of Cool,” or choosing from seven other, equally-clever options, to make their choices of up to four different dinners over four consecutive nights.

If you’re feeling left out because the invitation hasn’t hit your mailbox yet, you can go to DesertAIDSProject.org, to print out and complete the reservation card. If last year’s event is any indicator, you might want to hurry and mark your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices so that you have a better chance of attending the can’t-miss party of your choice on any or ALL of those four evenings.

Each dinner is $150 per person – all of which will benefit D.A.P. because the party hosts are paying for the entire cost of the evening! Since these parties were so popular last year, your choices for this year will be entered into a lottery, to determine which lucky people get their first choice.

All reservation cards with dinner choices must be postmarked by February 6, 2012 or received via email to jallen@desertaidsproject.org or by fax to 760-864-9468. Of course, if you’re as competitive as some of the dinner hosts are rumored to be, you can simply choose to “Buy It Now” by paying $250 – knowing that your additional donation will move you to the front of the line! That way, you can go to the Lottery Results Pre-Party, hosted by Time Warner Cable Signature Home, at the home of D.A.P. supporters Kenny Jervis and Michael Crisp on Tuesday, February 21st with an even bigger smile on your face, knowing that Dinner at My Place is going to be just what you wanted.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

One of the best and easiest ways to get the prevention conversation going is testing, which is why we offer free and confidential HIV testing five days a week in at least four Coachella Valley cities. In addition to HIV testing, the main Palm Springs location offers syphilis testing twice a week due to rising rates of infection, particularly amongst gay men.

But what about other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)? As the CDC notes, having an STD can increase a person’s risk of becoming infected with HIV. Where can our community turn to get tested for other STDs? While D.A.P. does not test for all STDs, our knowledgeable staff are able to direct any and all people needing to be tested for other STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes.

If getting tested by your local doctor is not an option (whether out of fear or embarrassment) there are other local resources to turn to:

Riverside County Department of Public Health
Appointment line: 1.800.720.9553
Two locations – one in Palm Springs (right next to us!) and one in Indio

Riverside County STD Program
760.778.2304

Mecca Family Health Clinic
91275 66th Avenue Suite 500,
Mecca, CA 92254
Appointments and Clinic: 760.396.1249

Planned Parenthood-Rancho Mirage
71777 San Jacinto Drive, Suite 202
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
888.743.7526

Planned Parenthood-Coachella
49-111 Highway 111, Unit 6, Suite A
Coachella, CA 92236
888.743.7526

Planned Parenthood-Moreno Valley
12900 Frederick Street, Suite C
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
888.743.7526

Planned Parenthood-Riverside
3772 Tibbetts
Riverside, CA 92506
888.743.7526

Other general information sources are:

The National HIV and STD Testing Resources page, which allows you to input your zip code and find testing centers in your area.
www.HIVtest.org

Palm Springs Gay Men’s Health offers helpful information and connects you to local resources in the Palm Springs area.
www.psgaymenshealth.com

There are plenty of resources available on the web and at various sites to become informed about one’s sexual health. Education, prevention and testing are vital tools to protecting one’s health and well-being and are also important steps in decreasing the number of new STD infections. Oftentimes, when your physician administers a health checkup, they don’t always check for STDs, it’s important that you make the request to get tested for HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Be sure to take advantage of local resources and be sure to tell others about these health and wellness tools!

Remember, you can always call or email us with questions about any of this. We try to respond in a timely manner, sometimes, in just a matter of hours!

It’s easy to keep children safe when they’re little; hold a hand, buckle a seat belt, monitor their activities. But as kids mature, even the most vigilant parent might be ignored because of peer pressure and skewed information. Years ago the threat of unwanted pregnancy or contracting an std was often enough warning to make kids wary. Though those facts remain true, for the past thirty years a deadly virus – HIV/AIDS – exists; with far more dire consequences.

Having children of my own and hearing their peers, it frightens me that in spite of the information and education available, it’s not reaching them in way that’s relevant to their idealistic vision – the one we all had once – that they are indestructible. Add to that, many still hold the misconception, HIV/AIDS is no threat to them if they aren’t part of the LGBT community.

If I wanted to see a change, I needed to take action. Thus, I approached Ricky Wright; principal of Palm Springs High School, with the idea to hold an age appropriate assembly for the student body in conjunction with World AIDS Day. I was delighted he readily supported my plan and agreed that forming a closer relationship with the incredible Desert AIDS Project is something we need to do. In taking the first step, we scheduled an assembly for December 8th.

My one concern; perhaps the kids wouldn’t care about the issue and pay little attention, they’d use the time to talk, text or or catch up on homework. I’m profoundly happy to say my concern was unfounded. In fact I was blown away by the respectful and courteous rapt attention the kids gave to what was offered to them. Since the assembly I’ve been repeatedly asked; can we do this more often? can the program be longer? and will the same people please come back to speak? All of this solidified my belief; kids are hungry for relate-able information, presented in a way that captures their interest. And made me eager to pursue more opportunities to bring it to them.

Thanks to the support of the Desert AIDS Project and three wonderful, dynamic friends who, on short notice, carved space into already hectic schedules to volunteer their time and talents, making the assembly a stunning success.

The Speakers:

Paul Gallegos; a straight man, husband, and father, opened the program with his own poignant story of living with the dire affects of HIV/AIDS. For us a cold is an annoyance, for him it could mean death. In the recklessness of youth, no consequences in mind, he got involved in drugs and activities he’s not proud of and stresses what he did is not what young people should waste their lives doing.

Sharing a needle with someone who was infected, he contracted the deadly disease. Far more painful than the prison time his actions cost, he pays dearly every day with the threat he might not see his children to maturity or grow old with his beloved wife. It’s emotionally draining for Paul to share his story, but he does it for the greater good and has created the “Intersection Project” through which he and his family work tirelessly to promote education, self-protection and early testing. His closing statement is loud and clear in dispelling mis-information for which he’s proof; “It’s HIV – human immune virus, not GIV – gay immune virus”

His lovely wife Kelly, briefly took the stage. Fighting tears she tells the attendees how HIV/AIDS not only affects Paul but their entire family. The fear and concern they live with every second for the husband and father they love. How their children, who are healthy, fight their own battles to overcome bullying and exclusion, merely because their dad is HIV positive. At ages when Sponge Bob, video games and dances should be their only concern, they do what they can to share the facts of HIV/AIDS.The unwavering love and respect they have for their father keeps them strong and vigilant.

Next, Nicholas Snow; an “openly-gay, openly-HIV positive” actor, singer, writer, journalist, producer, shared that in the midst of a flouring career, he too made a deadly mistake. Caught in a moment of passion he allowed the false delusion to take over, that unprotected sex would be safe, just once. In that foolish choice, he contracted AIDS and now battles the disease daily.

But by writing and recording “The Power To Be Strong”, an anthem to “HIV Testing/Safer Sex Awareness” – which he performed for the audience – he too found a way to turn his battle into something of benefit and hope for others. The song is featured on the Desert AIDS Project website and is offered as a free download on YouTube.

Closing the event was Scott Nevins. He’s a vibrant, witty, headlining comedian, award winning TV/radio host and personality – many of the kids knew him from TruTV’s hit show “The Smoking Gun Presents” – and celebrity interviewer. He gives a tremendous amount of his time and talents to benefit organizations, such as the Desert AIDS Project. In fact the night before he co-produced and hosted the second annual “SPARKLE: An All-Star Holiday Concert”.

But this day; speaking at the assembly, Scott wasn’t a celebrity, but a young, non-infected, openly-gay guy, who the kids connected with immediately. Because he remembers when only a dozen years ago, he’d been where many of them are; searching for his own truth and seeking acceptance, without fear of bias or discrimination. With matter of fact, lighthearted poignancy he shared the story of his coming out to his family and friends and how he turned the other cheek to bullies and bigotry while standing proud and strong in pursuing his dreams, leading him to a great future.

Scott clearly stated he’s been vigilant in protection against the deadly disease and lives a full and enjoyable life free from drugs, alcohol and trappings that often muddle choices and destroy your life.

He opened the mic to questions, which gave the kids an opportunity to address issues, in a non-judgement, safe environment, where they were comfortable to say what’s on their minds; “how did you know you were gay?”, “what are the symptoms of AIDS?” to name just a few.

There were moments I’ll never forget that filled me with deep emotion. The audience’s absolute silence in hearing the stories, seeing cell phones held high representing a candle lit vigil, kids swaying in unison to the song, other kids filling the aisle to snap photos and videos, and the intelligent and timely questions.

When the bell rang many students stayed, giving up their lunch period, to ask more questions and meet those who’d they heard. One young man proudly showed the rubber bracelets he wears in support of gay rights. Scott, Nicholas and Paul, kindly talked with kids and posed for pictures. Scott readily offered for them to follow him on Twitter and ask any questions they might have in the future.

By educating our youth, we can stop the spread of HIV/AIDS!

Like cancer, diabetes or heart disease; HIV/AIDS is a heinous intruder. It doesn’t differentiate between age, race, creed, gender, social status or sexual orientation. It doesn’t care what your dreams and life ambitions are. Its severe punishment for one mistake is far worse than any a parent or teacher can inflict. HIV/AIDS does not pardon; but orders a death sentence that to date has no parole.

However, unlike other diseases, HIV/AIDS can be stopped! It’s not a dream but a fact, there need never be a new case. And It is the responsibility of every parent, adult and educator to remove the taboo of this disease and make certain children have the correct knowledge and understanding to stringently use caution and the available resources to halt it in is tracks. It is as important as instructing our kids to not walk into traffic, as this disease is a deadly vehicle.

By uniting in the fight against HIV/AIDS through education, we’re given the very real opportunity to make the dream of creating a better world for our children a reality. For every-ones child please join me in learning what you can do!

Though I can’t guarantee who’ll be on the stage, I’m fully inspired and anxious to bring events like this to schools often!

Thanks so much to Helen, Scott Nevins, Paul Gallegos and everyone at Palm Springs High School who made this happen. We hope to continue to work with Helen (and others!) in the future to get HIV prevention messages across to our valley’s youth.

Earlier this year, DAP applauded the inclusion of SB 41 (Yee) into state law , which authorizes the pharmacy sale of syringes to adults. Numerous federal and international studies have repeatedly shown that increased access to sterile syringes lowers HIV transmission rates—without seeing a spike in crime or drug use.

Related to SB41, AB 604 (Skinner), allows the California Department of Public Health to authorize syringe exchange programs where the conditions exist for the rapid spread of viral hepatitis, HIV, or other potentially deadly diseases. This is a vital bill for our community, as the prevalence of HIV in our immediate area is four times greater than the national benchmark.

AB 1382, authored by assembly member Hernandez, allows HIV test counselors that are currently certified to perform HIV tests waived under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) to also administer two extra FDA-approved tests. The two tests include one for the hepatitis c virus (HCV) and a two-fold combination test that checks for HIV and HCV.

Rounding out the bills focused on HIV Prevention is SB 422 (Wright). The bill permits physicians to notify local health department Partner Services (PS) staff of an HIV-positive patient and with the patient’s written consent allows patient contact information for follow-up. In addition, this law also allows PS staff to make partner notifications to people believed to be a spouse, sexual, or needle-sharing partner while withholding any identifying information about the HIV-positive person or the physician.

Two more bills were signed into law this year that focused on HIV monitoring.  SB 946, authored by senators Steinberg and Evans, and AB 1088, authored by assembly member Eng.

SB 946, which was recently revised, allows the Office of Aids (OA) to make changes to the HIV/AIDS case report form without amending the California Code of Regulations. Effectively, this law will enable OA to facilitate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV/AIDS reporting guidance and enable more efficient and accurate HIV/AIDS case reporting.

In keeping touch with the demographics of the HIV/AIDS crisis, AB 1088 requires OA to add major Asian and Pacific Islander categories to HIV/AIDS reporting data, HIV care data and HIV Prevention data.

So far, these new laws are good steps in the fight against HIV/AIDS. But this year also saw the federal government take a step back by reinstating the ban on using federal funding for syringe exchange programs. As noted earlier, syringe exchange programs greatly reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and other infectious diseases. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the reinstatement of this ban “will lead to thousands of new HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C cases annually”. We hope that the new year brings more policies into place that will help to eradicate this chronic illness.

Read the 2011 Annual Report

Because this was the first year the christmas tree donation had been organized, we weren’t sure how many trees we’d be receiving. Since we have over 2,000 active clients, we wanted a fair way of distributing the trees to those who wanted them. The D.A.P. Community Center held a drawing for clients to win one of the 22 trees. Over 100 clients entered the drawing, and the lucky winners dropped by Desert AIDS Project on Monday, December 5 to pick up their prizes. Many clients were thankful and appreciative of their trees, and some even shed tears of joy upon collection. It just goes to show you that something so common for many of us can truly make a holiday season for those less fortunate.

Thanks to Suzy Felson, Jeanne Bruning, the Vocal Music Boosters at PDHS, everyone who purchased a tree to be donated to us, Revivals, and our Department of Social Services for coordinating this entire effort. It was truly heart-warming.

Gallagher, featured on the December 2011 cover of Palm Springs Life, will receive the 2011 Pioneer Arts and Activism Award in recognition of the time that he has given freely for many years, to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS-related causes. These have included Dine Out LA, the LA AIDS Walk, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Golf Classic. Gallagher has also been an active supporter of The Actors Fund for many years. Among its broad variety of services and programs available to entertainers is the HIV/AIDS Initiative, which is the largest recipient of funds from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

“The only difference between those of us who are able to contribute to The Actors Fund and those of us who desperately need what The Fund provides is luck: there is no difference,” said Gallager. “In a time when so many traditional methods of social assistance are threatened, it’s essential that those of us that can, do something.”

Matt Bomer, star of TV’s “White Collar,” is on Gallagher’s heels as one of the “new generation activists of stage and screen” for causes including HIV/AIDS. After speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2011 AIDS Walk in New York City’s Central Park on May 15, Bomer joined 45,000 others who walked to raise more than $6.2 million for Gay Men’s Health Crisis and 41 other AIDS service organizations in the tri-state area. Just two weeks earlier, he’d also had his walking shoes on to raise money for breast and ovarian cancer research on April 30 at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women from Times Square to Central Park.

As an in-demand actor who is also the father of three children, Bomer strongly supports marriage equality. That’s why, this September, he appeared in a one-night-only staged reading of “8,” the play written by Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Milk,” about California’s notorious Proposition 8, which made same-sex marriage illegal. Proceeds from the staged reading, performed at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre benefited the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which funds the fight for full federal marriage equality and supports educational efforts on the freedom to marry nationwide.

Since 1995, the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards have been honoring the contributions of those who are making a difference in AIDS care, prevention, and research. Each year, they honor local community leaders as well as those in the fields of science and medicine. The gala also honors those who use their celebrity from stage and screen – or elected office – to shine a light on the fact that AIDS is not over and is still a concern, both globally and right here in our own backyard.

Gallagher and Bomer will join the ranks of fellow celebrities, including Ann-Margret, Carol Channing, Kristen Chenoweth, Tyne Daly, Jerry Herman, Senator Ted Kennedy, Judith Light, Bob Mackie, Barry Manilow, Maureen McGovern, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie Perez, Pauley Perrette, Mary Steenburgen, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Dionne Warwick.

Receiving the Arts and Activism Award at the 2002 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards was Jeanne White, mother of Ryan White, who would have turned 40 years old on December 6. Although he died at the age of 18, just months before Congress passed the Ryan White CARE Act – now called the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – Ryan White’s legacy lives on through this federal program which has helped to provide essential HIV/AIDS care for thousands of Americans for two decades.

Tickets to the 18th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards are available online at www.desertaidsproject.org or by calling 760-323-2118, ext 266. You can view the TV spot that will be promoting ticket sales below.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Long time survivors, Dennis and Larry have had HIV since before they met 30 years ago.  Together, they have braved the struggle of living with this illness, yet they remain hopeful for a cure. Dennis and Larry feel that helping others, especially through volunteerism, is one of the best things one can do.

Teri contracted HIV from her rapist, but she has never allowed her ordeals to break her willpower to persevere. She remains strong and speaks of how DAP has become her second home, what she calls “an oasis of love”.

Recently diagnosed with HIV, Tim tells his story of how limited his knowledge was of HIV and sex education. He feels that the public school system must push for more sex education programs so that youth become informed at a young age.

Darlene represents a growing segment of HIV infections, those diagnosed with HIV as seniors. She shares her story and urges everyone to be careful. Full of energy, Darlene stresses that AIDS is not a simple problem and that we all must do our part to help.

December 1, commonly observed as World AIDS Day, marks the beginning of December as AIDS Awareness Month. This year is especially significant because it marks the 30^th anniversary of the first cases of AIDS diagnosed on June 6, 1981. Conceived by the World Health Organization, World AIDS Day was first observed on December 1, 1988.

By then, Desert AIDS Project had already been founded more than four years earlier, as a local, all-volunteer response to what had become a worldwide pandemic. Last year, D.A.P. served over 2,200 PLWHA (people living with HIV/AIDS,) offered HIV prevention education to 6,000 individuals, and conducted over 1,500 free and confidential HIV tests at a variety of locations targeting at-risk populations.

“At D.A.P., we use the ‘think globally, act locally’ philosophy to put our missions of care, prevention, and advocacy to work every day because HIV/AIDS continues to be a very significant problem here in our community,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Psychosocial and economic disparities contribute to HIV transmission and act as barriers to care. In much of our service area, PLWHA are nearly twice as likely to live below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, six times more likely to suffer from mental illness, and 15 times more likely to be homeless, compared to the general population.”

D.A.P. encourages the entire community to join them for events throughout the day on Thursday, December 1 to mark World AIDS Day. The following week, “SPARKLE! An All-Star Holiday Concert,” will be held in the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, beginning at 7:00 PM to benefit client services at Desert AIDS Project.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

World AIDS Day
Thursday, December 1
Desert AIDS Project
1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs

30 Years of AIDS Memorial Wall
All Day
Anyone may post photos or leave messages for those who have passed from HIV/AIDS.  Memorial Wall featured in D.A.P. lobby throughout December.

EZ-103 Radio Remote, Live with Dan McGrath & Vicki Steele
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Interviews with clients, supporters, and volunteers. Radio listeners are invited to make donations in someone’s honor or in memory of someone who has passed from AIDS.

Open House with Tours
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Learn more about the 17 programs, all under one roof, offered by D.A.P. that make it a unique AIDS service organization: medical and dental clinics, housing and food assistance, mental health programs, a Client Community Center, and so much more.

Short Program & Lighting of the Building
4:30 to 5:00 PM
Client observations and songs by Caballeros, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Palm Springs, and Nicholas Snow, international AIDS activist.

Dinner and Film Screening with Panel Discussion
Buffet dinner for clients and volunteers. RSVP to 760-969-5743.

Screening of Still Around: 30 years of AIDS, 15 stories of hope, a collection of short films, followed by a panel discussion led by Daniel Cardone, D.A.P. volunteer and director of one of the short films

SPARKLE! An All-Star Holiday Concert
benefiting Desert AIDS Project
Wednesday, December 7

6:30 PM – Silent Auction
7:00 PM – Show

Annenberg Theater
Palm Springs Art Museum

Hosted by Scott Nevins
Award-winning TV personality, comedian, host of TruTV’s hit show, “The Smoking Gun Presents”, and Instinct Magazine cover guy

Stars of Stage and Screen:

• JoAnne Worley, legendary comedienne from “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”, “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “Beauty and the Beast”
• Bobbie Eakes twice Emmy-nominated star of “All My Children” and “The Bold and the Beautiful”
• Wilson Cruz of “Grey’s Anatomy”, “My So Called Life” and “RENT”
• Milena Govich of “Law and Order” and “Cabaret”
• Ginifer King of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior” and “Gypsy”
• Max von Essen of “Les Miserables”, “Dance of the Vampires” and “Xanadu” national tour
• Erin Quill of “Avenue Q”
• Von Smith of “American Idol” and “The View”
• Jen Malenke of “High School Musical: Get in the Picture” and “Into the Woods”
• Julie Garnye of “Hair: In Concert” and “Tinkerbell: the movie”
• Jessica Kennan Wynn of “Hairspray”
• Dionne Gipson of “Black Dynamite”
• Robyn Clark of “Gypsy”

Produced by Scott Nevins and Mark Jones, Brighthaus Marketing
Musical Director, Jesse Vargas
Tickets at SparklePalmSprings.com

$48 General Admission

$125 VIP Ticket, includes premium seating and after-party with hosted bar

Sponsors
Golden Angel: Canyon Pacific Insurance Services; DannInc Lifestyle Interiors; LIVE Magazine
Shining Star Sponsors: Trick Dog Films, Brighthaus Marketing
Bright Light Sponsors: Pacific Premier Bank, Technology Angelz, TRIO Restaurant, Tuesday Night Supper Club
Silent Auction items include autographed books, original art, a year of free dry cleaning, video marketing package, and much more

• HIV testing within communities combined with efficient linkage to HIV care providers and specialty care
• Access to integrated medical care all under one roof, commonly implemented through the “medical home” model
• A holistic approach towards care that provides social services for clients

HIV testing and linkage to care
Free and confidential HIV testing is available in various cities throughout Riverside County through Desert AIDS Project. In total, Desert AIDS Project has initiated testing efforts in over 20 communities and groups throughout our service-area. Health Educators and Early Intervention Specialists link any person who is HIV-positive with the services here.

Medical Home model
We provide a majority of our services all under one roof at our Palm Springs campus. Case management and primary and specialty care providers form the base of care operations here. Case managers assist clients to identify needs and coordinate the variety of clinical and social services required to remove barriers to, avoid duplication of, and maintain engagement in care. Telemedicine capabilities in conjunction with off-site partners allow D.A.P. clients to receive some medical advice without having to schedule appointments elsewhere. Gynecologic services for women ensure our HIV-positive female clients receive thorough medical care.  The three-year old dental clinic at the Palm Springs campus – Riverside county’s first HIV-specialty dental clinic – is also a testament to the integrated medical care model that we strive to offer for clients.

HIV providers and expertise
Well-qualified physicians make up the HIV care team at Desert AIDS Project at the main campus in Palm Springs and at our San Bernardino clinic. Our staff of  providers demonstrates HIV expertise and experience with specialty training. Five providers of HIV care in our medical clinics are Certified HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVS). There is no higher credential one can earn specific to HIV. These providers are Dr. Hawthorne, Dr.Kerkar, Dr. Vo, Physician’s Assistant Jean Davis, Ph.D and Dr.Shiu. Even D.A.P. specialists Dr. Dew, certified in Preventative Medicine/Public Health and Occupational Medicine, and psychiatrist Dr. Torban, who has been recognized as one of America’s Top Psychiatrist’s, make certain that D.A.P. clients receive the best relevant care no matter what. Dr Hawthorne–who holds both AAHIVS certification and is certified in Infectious Diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine–currently, serves as D.A.P.’s Interim Medical Director.

Holistic care and social services
Access to essential HIV medications and holistic social services also show that D.A.P. is on the right track . Clients have access to a Walgreens pharmacy on site that contains all of the stock of a regular pharmacy, while also carrying essential HIV medications. Eligible clients can also receive nutrition and food assistance through our monthly farmer’s market at the Food Depot or obtain help navigating housing opportunities. Support groups, nutrition workshops, alcohol and substance abuse counseling, yoga & meditation classes, and access to legal services round out some of the social services offered at D.A.P.

It is clear that Desert AIDS Project is on the right path for promoting positive health outcomes for our clients by providing effective, integrated care under one roof and taking a holistic approach towards HIV/AIDS treatment. We will continue to meet the evolving needs of our clients to ensure everyone in our community has a right to a decent quality of life.

The deadline for orders and payment is November 18. Email PDHSVocalMusicBoosters@gmail.com to order. Palm Desert High School students will load the trees up in a Revivals truck on Saturday, December 3 and they will be delivered to Desert AIDS Project for distribution to our clients. Please see the flyer below for more information. Happy Holiday!

Each year since 2004, the Neighborhood Builders grant program from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has been making monetary awards to two outstanding nonprofit organizations in each of 45 markets across the United States. Those awards in 2011 for the Inland Empire were made to Desert AIDS Project and FIND Food Bank (Food in Need of Distribution.) Each organization will receive $100,000 annually for two years, as well as leadership development programs for their senior executives and emerging leaders.

Committed to creating positive change in the places where its branches operate, Bank of America’s corporate philanthropy is driven by the belief that a healthy community is important to everyone. In total, Bank of America will contribute $200 million to address critical issues facing neighborhoods and communities across the U.S. during 2011.

“We are so grateful to Bank of America for this grant because while our current economy has made fundraising harder than ever, the need for basic services like medical care, food, and housing never goes away,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “If anything, community assistance organizations that help to build stronger, more closely-knit neighborhoods are more necessary than ever. In times like these, it becomes even more important for organizations like D.A.P. and FIND to help those in need.”

Operating under the philosophy that “food is medicine” for people living with HIV or AIDS, D.A.P. provides low-income clients with food vouchers redeemable at any Stater Brothers store, while also offering a monthly Farmers Market. Many of the items offered at the Farmers Market, such as fresh produce, bread, and other less shelf-stable products, are secured from FIND, either as a donation to D.A.P. or paid for with grant funding.

“For one in six Coachella Valley residents – and one in eight Americans – food insecurity is a daily issue. In fact, the majority of food insecure individuals currently being served by FIND are considered ‘working-poor families.’ This demographic represents minimum-wage working adults and low-income children who simply cannot make ends meet and often go with very limited food for several days a month,” says Lisa Houston, CEO of FIND Food Bank. “Working with D.A.P. and other social service organizations located throughout the Coachella Valley is a great way for FIND to continue to maintain service to 80,000+ individuals we help monthly to get the nutrition they need.”

FIND Food Bank is dedicated to mobilizing the resources of our community through education and awareness to relieve hunger. We envision our “food-insecure” clients obtaining nourishing food through channels that are not solely dependent on private sources, so that clients can learn to become self-sufficient while being mindful of healthy food choices. We also visualize a day when our proactive succession planning pays off to ensure future organizational sustainability and a hunger-free Coachella Valley. To learn more about FIND, please call 760-775-3663, visit www.findfoodbank.org or locate us on Facebook.

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

[Pictured: Raul Bastillos, Vice President & Market Development Manager at Bank of America; Tammy Fox, D.A.P. Board Secretary; David Brinkman, CEO; Sue Knollenberg, Director of Resource Development]

Question: How long have you been organizing the food drive? What prompted you to start it?
Kandy: I moved to Palm Springs in the summer of 2003 while I was a flight attendant with American Airlines & the only people I knew in the desert were a few other flight attendants. I planned a holiday gathering for dinner at WANGS for 15 of us. At the last minute I asked everyone to bring a new Christmas toy to donate for the children of clients at Desert AIDS Project. In every community that I have lived in, I always try to give back and to make a difference in any way that I can. While living in San Diego I delivered meals through Mama’s Kitchen & saw how grateful the clients were for these meals, particularly for what it meant to them: that they had not been forgotten and that people out there loved and cared about them. The real thrill for me is to encourage those around me to do the same and see how involved they become. To see a small endeavor turn into a huge, successful event that the Food Drive has become today is remarkable.

So, the dinner/toy drive 8 years ago with 15 people has now turned into a rather large community Food Drive to literally fill the pantry/food depot at Desert AIDS Project with approximately 200-250 people in attendance this coming Saturday at AZUL ALIBI restaurant and lounge.

Organizing something like this must take a lot of work. How many people are involved in putting it all together?
Initially my good friend and fellow coworker, Don Pascal, was my “co-captain”. Over the years my good friends Sherrie Kilman, Ray Novotny, and Mark Carter have jumped on the bandwagon. They all were very eager and wanted to get involved. And then, of course, the true heroes are all of my friends & their friends right here in Palm Springs who show up every year with their many bags of non-perishable grocery items with a giving & loving spirit. I believe that most people really do want to make a difference but sometimes just don’t know what to do. I present this opportunity to them & they always so graciously step up to the plate.

Information for this year's food drive to be held on Saturday, November 5 at Azul/Georgie's Alibi

What are some example items one should donate during the food drive?
As for the actual donated grocery items, we will get anything from cereal & granola bars to canned vegetable & fruit, canned meats such as tuna & chicken, to rice & pasta/sauces, to baking mixes/frosting, “comfort” soups such as tomato & chicken noodle/saltines. A lot of the D.A.P. clients have either a cat or a dog, so we want to provide food for their pets, so we do encourage pet food donations. We will also accept gift cards from our local grocery stores & of course checks to D.A.P. or cash the day of the event (all of which is tax deductible: D.A.P. Tax ID#33-0068583)

Anything else you’d like to add?
Each year, I  have the Food Drive event at one of the local restaurants and they are always so supportive and helpful. This year we are returning to AZUL & GEORGIE’S ALIBI (we were there in 2008), so I’ve been working with my friend/owner George who has been such a great help with good ideas and always a positive, encouraging attitude. The new “twist” this year is if you donate 50lbs or more of groceries (yes, George has a scale), then your name goes into a drawing for 4 wonderful prizes: 2 night stay @ the fabulous RIVIERA RESORT/SPA, a 1 night stay @ the lovely HORIZON HOTEL, includes continental breakfast for 2, $100 gift certificate @ BRIEN O’BRIEN SALON (just voted BEST OF THE BEST) & a $50 gift certificate @ LULU’S DOWNTOWN BISTRO plus you will receive  a complimentary drink at the bar while atending the event.

For more information about this year’s food drive, see the event page on Facebook.

Thanks Kandy Lee and to all those who have donated and are involved in organizing this event!!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the final fundraising totals of the Walk. In the meantime, relive the event by browsing through the photos on our website, and on our Facebook page. Finally, help us keep the spirit of the Palm Springs AIDS Walk alive by being an AIDS advocate year-round or donating to us online.

SB 41 – Authorization of pharmacy sale of syringes to adults

SB 41, authored by Assemblymember Yee and co-sponsored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and others, is a stepping stone to more comprehensive HIV prevention in the State of California. Research and most major health organizations across the world agree that increased access to clean syringes lowers HIV transmission rates – without a similar increase in crime or drug use.

For those areas of the state where Syringe Exchange Programs are illegal – including Riverside County – allowing adults to purchase clean syringes without a prescription is a welcome addition to HIV and hepatitis C prevention programs. Now harm-reduction counselors can present viable alternatives to injection drug users and other at risk-populations. Desert AIDS Project wrote a letter of support urging Governor Brown to sign this piece of legislation into law, and we’re grateful he did.

AB 499 – Access to STI, HIV Prevention fro Minors without Parental Consent

Minors as young as 12 can now receive HIV and other STD prevention treatments without parental consent, including post-exposure prophylaxis and vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV). According to the Associated Press, HPV is the most commonly sexually transmitted disease. It is also the cause of cervical cancer in women. Read more about it here.

Although these bills continue to increase access to proven prevention methods for HIV and other STDs, there is still a critical need for increased funding for prevention programs, particularly education. We hope to see some movement in this area from the capitol soon.

Look no further than the Camelot Theatres on Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 for the premiere of “I Didn’t Come Here to Die” benefiting client services at Desert AIDS Project. In addition to the film, your $35 ticket gets you a Halloween party with wine, champagne, desserts, and a live band.

Ordering tickets online is fastest when you visit www.desertaidsproject.org on your mobile phone and press Purchase Event Tickets. You can also purchase tickets here or, you can call 760-969-5743.

The film is brought to you by the producing team of Kim Waltrip and Jim Casey, who invite you to visit www.ididntcomeheretodie.com to watch a trailer and see more reviews like the one from Bloody-Disgusting.com that said “… one of the best horror film debuts since Sam Rami unleashed The Evil Dead upon the world.”

Scared yet? You’ll be even MORE scared if you miss it!!

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Desert AIDS Project was honored when they heard that their “AIDS is not over” public service announcement (PSA) campaign had been chosen as the recipient of a national award from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

“While we were delighted, we knew that we weren’t going to travel to New York City to attend the award ceremony on October 4,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “But when our friends at DST Studios here in Palm Springs offered us free studio space, we got busy writing our acceptance speech to tape and send to them. Thanks to our loyal supporter, the legendary Carol Channing, the end result was too good NOT to share with our friends.”

All parts of the acceptance speech, except for Miss Channing’s, were scripted. “What she ad libbed was pure gold,” said Brinkman. “This is an actress who definitely knew what her audience would love to hear. She is a treasure to D.A.P.” The lighthearted acceptance speech by D.A.P. and their creative partners, the Jones Agency, can be seen below.

If you haven’t yet seen the long-form PSA for “AIDS is not over,” you can watch it below:

The D.A.P. campaign had already won two Gold and three Silver ADDY Awards at the local level, as well as the prestigious Mosaic Award for diversification in local marketing. This was the first time that the Mosaic Award had been won by a member of the Palm Springs/Desert Cities chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF.) The campaign went on to also win Silver at the regional level ADDY Awards. At local, regional, and national levels, the AAF’s ADDY Awards honor creative excellence in advertising.

To see all of the Amplifier Award winners honored by GLAAD on October 4, click here.

To read more about the coverage of the October 4, 2011 GLAAD Amplifier Awards, check out these links:

- Broadway World
- Guest of a Guest
- Queerty
- Non-Profit Quarterly
-Think Progress

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

NHAAAD also prompts older Americans to question whether their routine doctor check-ups include testing for HIV/AIDS. Often times patients assume HIV screenings are included in their routine check-ups, however this is not always the case. It is vital that older America ask their doctors to include an HIV screening with yearly physicals and check-ups. Older adults may also mistake aches and pains as signs of aging, yet an HIV infection produces similar symptoms. These common misconceptions, tied with the ever-present stigma associated with the disease may prevent older adults from getting tested. NHAAAD underscores the need to educate older Americans about the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS and knowing their status.

In conjunction with NHAAAD, Desert AIDS Project’s main campus will be offering a $10 gift card for anyone 50 years of age or older who gets tested. The gift cards will be distributed on September 12, 15, 19, and 22. Please call 760.323.2118 to make an appointment. Click here to find out more!

More Resources for Older Americans:

• Desert AIDS Project: Preventing HIV for 55+
• Graying of AIDS: Older Americans at risk for HIV infection (PhotoBlog)
• AIDS Institute
• Observing National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day in an Aging Epidemic

Like so many other organizations that felt the warmth and generosity of Jackie Lee Houston, Desert AIDS Project was deeply saddened by her recent death.

“We honored Jackie Lee, along with her wonderful husband Jim Houston, with our Partners for Life Award at the 2007 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “It was a fitting tribute on many levels – their long-standing philanthropy and support of D.A.P. client services, Jackie’s personal friendship with Steve Chase, and their membership in both our Partners for Life and 100 WOMEN annual giving programs.”

Mrs. Houston also gave to D.A.P. in the names of others – friends and staff – who might have found making such charitable gifts a hardship on their own. Much of this giving on the behalf of others, made without fanfare, was to the 100 WOMEN program, which helps women and children whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS.

While Mrs. Houston attended many Steve Chase galas and supported the Palm Springs AIDS Walk for many years, she particularly loved going to the shows put on by Les Dames du Soleil to support Desert AIDS Project. This troupe of comedic performers declared her an Honorary Dame in 2007.  They also made her a White Satin Glove recipient, signed by the entire troupe of Dames and Dudes, in recognition of gift of $10,000 each at two consecutive shows.

“Testimony to her sense of fun and her determined spirit was never more evident than when she came to a show in a wheelchair festooned with flowers, sequins, and glitter,” continued Brinkman. “Truly, there was only one Jackie Lee Houston.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visitwww.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

On October 15, David Brinkman will be honored with the second annual Pepperdine University Waves of Service Award, which includes a $5,000 check to Desert AIDS Project, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer and President.

Launched in 2009, the Waves of Service movement celebrates, supports, and connects Pepperdine alumni who are committed to volunteerism and careers of service worldwide. Developed by the Alumni Leadership Council at the encouragement of Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton, Waves of Service began with the unwritten motto, “serve where you are.”  The vision of Waves of Service is to become the world’s most active alumni service movement in the world.

In choosing Brinkman as this year’s honoree, Greg Porter, Director of Waves of Service, said, “David was one of seven finalists from a list of 300 nominations, which are made by the Alumni Affairs offices of each of the five schools of Pepperdine University. The selection committee was particularly thrilled with the story of what he has accomplished for the health and wellness of those affected by AIDS.”

Brinkman received a Masters of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management in 2002.  Joining Desert AIDS Project in August 2006, he provides administrative and fiscal oversight of all agency programs and services, as well as leadership in strategic planning and community collaboration.

He has led the organization through a period of unprecedented expansion, increasing the number of clients and volunteers, diversity and volume of services, number of staff, and size of the budget.  During Brinkman’s tenure, D.A.P. has expanded its service provision to three new cities, opened a HIV-specialty dental clinic, launched innovative housing solutions, dedicated a community center as a resource hub for health education and combating stigma, and established an endowment to fund future operations.

“I am humbled – and completely surprised – that D.A.P. and I were chosen for this honor,” said Brinkman.  “I had no idea we were even being considered.”

Launched in 2009, Waves of Service celebrates, supports, and connects Pepperdine alumni who are committed to volunteerism and careers of service worldwide. The vision of Waves of Service is to become the world’s most active alumni service movement in the world.

“Since my first job at Cascade AIDS Project in Portland, I’ve had a passion for social justice, particularly around the cause of HIV/AIDS because I’ve lost so many friends to it,” continued Brinkman. “It’s wonderful that Waves of Service is recognizing the essential work of important organizations like Desert AIDS Project.  In these continuing, uncertain economic times, this $5,000 award will certainly be put to good use.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visitwww.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Founded in 1937, Pepperdine is an independent Christian university offering graduate and undergraduate degrees through its Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and four graduate schools of business, law, public policy, and education and psychology.  The University is recognized nationally for its excellent academic programs and enrolls approximately 7,500 full-time and part-time students in its five colleges and schools.  Headquartered in Malibu, California, the University has academic centers throughout Southern California and operates international programs in Europe, South America, and Asia.

The location of the new Revivals store just off the Monterey exit of the I-10 freeway at 72800 Dinah Shore Drive is just the start of what makes it so “super.” When you see the size and selection it offers, you’ll understand why this chain of stores was voted “Best of the Valley Thrift Stores” by readers of The Desert Sun.

The new Palm Desert store, which replaces the current location on Highway 111, will be the largest of all of the Revivals stores, which also includes Palm Desert, Cathedral City, and San Diego locations. With 20,000 square feet, the sales floor is divided into three major sections:

• The value-priced section will offer a full range of donated furniture, clothing and shoes, books, handbags, jewelry, electronics, appliances, house wares, and many more one-of-a-kind treasures. Seasoned Revivals shoppers will head right for the DIVA boutique section of the new store for special buys.
• The consignment section offers furniture, artwork, fine crystal, china, silver, and other high-end, pre-owned items.
• The new merchandise section, which is growing in popularity throughout the Revivals chain, is perfect for the buyer who wants brand-new at lower prices. The section will offer leather sofas from just $489, rugs, lamps, artwork, jewelry, watches, and handbags. All items have been purchased with special care, to offer the best value at a time when most shoppers are looking for great deals.

The new Revivals Palm Desert location also becomes the exclusive dealer in the Coachella Valley for the Michael Amini collection of a new furniture line, called “Hollywood Swank,” designed by Jane Seymour. Store hours are Monday – Saturday 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM with Sunday hours from 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM. For further details, please call the store at 760-318-6491.

If you’re interested in consigning goods at any Revivals store, it’s recommended that you bring or send photos of your chosen items for an initial appraisal. For a free pick-up of items you wish to donate, please call 760-323-3662. Neither consigned nor donated goods are subject to tax. Donated items are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

As with all of its stores, this new Revivals Palm Desert location wouldn’t be possible without the daily help of dozens of volunteers who work diligently to keep the sales floor stocked and customers happy. For anyone interested in volunteering as a cashier, bagger, floor attendant, or other positions, please call Melanie Jones at 760-318-6491 or visit the store to complete a volunteer application. Each month, volunteers are invited to a potluck, to share ideas, hear new information, and continue to create that wonderful community that Revivals has formed in support of the clients of Desert AIDS Project.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Throughout the month of September, the Walgreens Red Ribbon promotion has returned for the second year to 29 local area Walgreens stores in support of the 24th Palm Springs AIDS Walk, to benefit client services at Desert AIDS Project.

“Walgreens has been a valued partner of ours for many years and has an in-house pharmacy at D.A.P for the convenience of our clients,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Last year, Walgreens donated $15,000 from the Red Ribbon in-store promotion and they are a big part of this year’s Health & Wellness Festival at the Walk.”

Desert AIDS Project thanks everyone who has already made a contribution at one of the participating Walgreens stores and encourages them to consider helping to raise even more money by forming their own Walk team. D.A.P. has made it easy for anyone to donate to the Walk or to set up their own Walk team page and solicit donations from family and friends. To get started, visit www.desertaidsproject.org/go/aidswalk.

Registration for the 2011 Palm Springs AIDS Walk begins at 7:30 AM at Ruth Hardy Park in Palm Springs with activities, including entertainment, beginning at 8:30 before the Walk steps off at 9:30. The Health & Wellness Festival, presented by Walgreens, will be open from 8:00 AM until noon and will include more than 70 health-related practitioners, offering a variety of free tests, evaluations, and educational materials.

Once again, Walkers will set off from the park at Tachevah and Avenida Caballeros along an easy route through the historic Movie Colony and along Palm Canyon Drive. Plenty of free parking is available and well-behaved pets on leashes are welcomed.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

In honor of the fourth annual National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD) on Sunday, September 18, Desert AIDS Project will be offering a $10 gift card, while supplies last, for anyone 50 years of age or older this week and next. The incentive will be offered September 12, 15, 19, and 22 only at the main Desert AIDS Project campus at 1695 N. Sunrise Way in Palm Springs during its regular Monday and Thursday 4:30 – 7:00 PM testing hours. Please call 760-323-2118 to make an appointment.

“We want to remind aging populations that 40% of all Americans living with HIV are age 50 or older,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Currently, there are over 48,000 Californians in this age group living with HIV. We are urging anyone 50+ to ask themselves when they were last tested for HIV and consider whether it’s time to be tested again.”

The theme for NHAAAD is “Aging is a part of life – HIV doesn’t have to be.” More than 1,000 people in this “senior” age group were newly diagnosed as HIV-positive in 2009. Of those newly diagnosed, half of them were concurrently diagnosed with AIDS, indicating late testing with those 50+.

Desert AIDS Project offers free and confidential HIV testing – with results in about 20 minutes – five days a week at various locations in Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, and Indio. For a complete listing of testing locations, please visit www.desertaidsproject.org or call 760-323-2118. D.A.P. provides comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services to those living with HIV/AIDS. To learn more, you can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

These events are often the brainchild of one or two individuals who are looking to create a fun event that supports a great cause. Over the past few years, D.A.P. has been lucky enough to be the recipient of several third-party fundraisers, including:

• 2010 Stud Auction, which successfully raised thousands of dollars for our dental clinic.

• 2011 Celebrity Doodles event, hosted by Partners for Life members Peter Demopoulos and Mark Messenger. To date this event has raised $21,800 to support client services at D.A.P.

• The Adonis Factor movie screening – entirely underwritten by Integrated Wealth Management, this event raked managed to fill the house at the Annenberg Theater at the end of 2010!!

• Expecting Mary movie screening: also entirely underwritten in costs by Integrated Wealth Management, with the space generously donated to us by Camelot Theaters in Palm Springs, this benefit featured celebrity guests like Della Reese, Stephanie Powers, and Elliot Gould to raise funds.

• 2011 Erotic Art Expo: This annual event organized by Dennis Cramer and hosted at The Tool Shed raised $5000 for us this year!

• bandAIDS: This unique concert event organized by MAC at Macy’s Palm Desert raked in $1200 in ticket sales and donations alone! Add in the matching donation from MAC, and these wonderful ladies were able to raise over $2400 for their Palm Springs AIDS Walk team!

Are you interested in throwing a fundraiser for Desert AIDS Project? If so, read these Third Party Event guidelines and contact our Special Events Manager, JP Allen at (760) 323-2118 ext. 266 or email him at jallen@desertaidsproject.org

D.A.P. was awarded Outstanding Social Marketing Campaign for our “AIDS is Not Over” public service announcement produced by the Jones Agency and released in late 2010. Other awardees in the same category include Gay Men’s Health Crisis, NYC Administration for Children’s Services, and Hispanic Federation/NY AIDS Institute. To see the full list of award winners click here. You can also read the official press release from GLAAD here.

We applaud all the honorees for continuing to promote compelling and accurate representations of all LGBT individuals – including those living and thriving with HIV/AIDS. We are especially proud of our clients and local supporters who participated in the making of this PSA. You can see the entire long-form PSA below or on our YouTube page.

If you can’t remember the last time you got tested for HIV, you should consider getting tested today. Luckily, in addition to our free and confidential testing five days a week,  you can also get tested today for free at Walgreens, located at 82-955 Avenue 48, Indio. The last tests will be given out at 2:30pm, so you still have time!

Gala co-chairs Barbara Keller and Jim Casey invite supporters of Desert AIDS Project to save Saturday, February 11, 2012 for the 18^th annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards at the Palm Springs Convention Center, beginning at 5:30 PM.

“We’re holding out on the rest of the names just yet,” said Ms. Keller. “But this is definitely going to be one of the highlights of the Coachella Valley social season – from award honorees to entertainers to a glittering array of other celebrities in attendance.”

“I mean, ‘Can we talk?’ about how much you’re going to want to be there? But make sure your fashion sense is red-carpet-ready to pass muster with Joan Rivers,” agreed Casey, who is also President and CEO of Integrated Wealth Management, the gala’s Presenting Sponsor for the fourth consecutive year, contributing a total of $1 million over five years. “We’ve asked Joan to be on her best behavior but I’m sure she’s going to set that stage on fire, to make sure these mega-talent performers don’t take too much of the spotlight off her.”

Queen Latifah – who has blossomed into a one-woman entertainment conglomerate as a musician, TV/film actress/producer, music label president, author, and entrepreneur – isn’t going to make that an easy task. Not only the first hip hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006, “The Queen” has received numerous award nominations and wins. In the true-life TV drama, Life Support, she was the executive producer, as well as starring as a mother who overcomes an addiction to crack, becoming a positive role model and an AIDS activist in the black community.  The role earned Latifah both Golden Globe and SAG Award wins, as well as an Emmy nomination.

Anyone who knows Megan Mullally simply as the boozy, self-medicating, and hysterically funny “Karen Walker” from the hit NBC series Will & Grace is in for a delightful surprise when they hear her sing at the 2012 Steve Chase gala. While she won two Emmy Awards and four SAG Awards as “Karen,” Mullally has been singing her way across Broadway stages beginning with her debut in the 1994 revival of GREASE. Since then, she’s been nominated for and won a variety of awards for other live theater and movie roles. Mullally sings and records with her band, Supreme Music Program, internationally.

As much a storyteller as a singer, Wynonna Judd is a five-time Grammy Award winner whose journey began as half of the legendary duo, The Judds, with her mother Naomi Judd. Called “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline” by Rolling Stone, her rich and commanding voice has made her a country music megastar over a career that’s already spanned almost 30 years. Wynonna has sold more than 10 million albums as a solo artist, including her quintuple platinum 1992 debut “Wynonna” which spawned four number one hits and made her the best selling female country artist at that time.  Her candid 2005 memoir, “Coming Home to Myself,” made her a New York Times best-selling author, which she has recently followed with a fictional work called “Restless Heart” that draws on her personal experiences. Meanwhile, “The Judds” docu-series on the Oprah Winfrey Network debuted in 2011 to enormous ratings.  Who knows what’s next in the story of Wynonna Judd?

Perhaps not yet a household name, Broadway theater aficionados will already know the very handsome David Burnham for playing “Fiyero” in Wicked. As the 2007 Best Actor recipient of both the prestigious Helen Hayes Award and the Garland Award for his portrayal of Fabrizio in the six-time Tony Award winning musical, The Light In the Piazza, Burnham first gained critical acclaim when he replaced Donny Osmond in the title role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Lending his talents to animated feature films and movie soundtracks, Burnham recently released his second solo CD, entitled One Day.

“We are so excited to have such an incredible range of entertainment and a force-of-nature like Joan Rivers hosting the 2012 Steve Chase gala,” said Ms. Keller.  “Jim and I are hoping we can help Desert AIDS Project beat last year’s total of more than $1.33 million raised to support client services.  We hope everyone will save the date and join us on February 11.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

To recognize their 27th anniversary of providing services for those with HIV and AIDS in our community, Desert AIDS Project recently launched a redesigned website — www.desertaidsproject.org — intended to meet the needs of clients, donors, volunteers, or anyone simply looking for more information about the disease.

“We always consider the three words from our logo – Care, Prevention, and Advocacy – when we speak personally with clients, donors, volunteers, or anyone else. As one of our primary communication tools, we wanted our website to be just as interactive,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Our friends at E-Works Media helped us create a more interesting and accessible online gateway to a wealth of information. Now, whether you need to access our clinics or social services, are looking to get tested for HIV, want to volunteer with us, or buy a ticket to one of our fundraisers, this is the best place to start.”

Like many other nonprofits and most businesses, Desert AIDS Project has fully embraced the online world, with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube becoming essential components of its communications toolkit. Other sites, like Yelp and Foursquare, have been utilized to build “buzz” around specific fundraisers, like the annual Dining Out for Life event and the upcoming Palm Springs AIDS Walk on October 22. D.A.P. is already in the process of developing a mobile version of the new website.

But in this 30th year of the AIDS epidemic – still a growing problem, both globally and locally – Desert AIDS Project has been pleased at the way clients and other volunteer advocates have picked up the cause that “AIDS is not over” as their own.

A shining example of this kind of AIDS activism is Nicholas Snow, a long-standing entertainment journalist and actor who recently returned to Palm Springs after living in Thailand for many years, to access services as a client at Desert AIDS Project. Well-known already throughout southeast Asia, Snow has written a song and created a music video campaign designed to reach millions of people worldwide about the importance of HIV testing, increased promotion of safer sex practices, and to empower the efforts of others in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

The home page of Desert AIDS Project’s new website prominently features a free download of Snow’s song “The Power to Be Strong,” as well as links to the music video subtitled in 20 languages.

“When Nicholas approached us with this opportunity to help us continue spreading our messages of Care, Prevention, and Advocacy, we knew that it was the right thing to do,” said Brinkman. “We applaud his bravery at openly telling his story as an HIV-positive man and hope that it will help others to get past the stigma that still surrounds AIDS. We think thatís the best way to just get on with helping those who need our help.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

RESOURCES FOR MEDIA

Singer/Songwriter Nicholas Snow is available for interviews/performances.
(760) 808-2787

For more information:

• Download the broadcast quality music video for “The Power To Be Strong”
• Download the MP3 single of “The Power To Be Strong”
• Download the key art for “The Power To Be Strong”
• Download a story from “The Sun”national newspaper in Malaysia, which will serve as an extensive backgrounder of “The Power To Be Strong” HIV Testing/Safer Sex Awareness campaign for your reference.

Here is a single link to all of the above available until mid November, 2011:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/M0RyRFFRT01YSHhjR0E9PQ

Link to download the Spanish-subtitled version of the music video:
(Spanish) Test del VIH / Himno de Conciencia Sexual (“El Poder De Ser Fuerte”) – https://www.yousendit.com/download/M0RyV28zQzNlM1EwTVE9PQ

Other links:
www.YouTube.com/ThePowerToBeStrong (Video subtitled in 20 languages)
www.Facebook.com/PowerToBeStrong
www.SnowbizNow.com (Nicholas Snow’s official web site)

Right-click and save to download “The Power to Be Strong”

Watch the video here. View and share in over 20 languages on Facebook and YouTube!

About Nicholas Snow

Read the June 2011 Progress Report below by flipping through the pages, or click to read it in fullscreen.

With great music filling the outdoor space, attendees also had an opportunity to win great prizes from generous sponsors through a raffle, including gift packages from MAC at Macy’s Palm Desert, a sweet guitar from Musician’s Outlet, meals at TRIO Restaurant, and spa and salon packages from La Bella Salon and Robert Madera Salon.

Overall, bandAIDS raised $1200 for client services at Desert AIDS Project and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Congratulations to all the prize winners and infinite thanks to all the sponsors and event organizers! You guys literally rock!

Miss out on the action? Check out the photos below and this recap video from Christopher Cichocki on Facebook.

The beautiful outside venue at Pappy & Harriet's

Rocking out just before sunset

Blackstrap Molasses plays at bandAIDS

The recent passing of Guy Lawson, a prominent member of the Palm Springs community, has left many saddened by the loss of a man who gave so much to so many others.

Lawson founded the HIV/AIDS Special Care Center at Desert Regional Medical Center, helping to provide comprehensive and compassionate care that complimented the services being offered by Desert AIDS Project. His relationships with DRMC’s staff and volunteers at the Special Care Center benefited D.A.P. in a number of ways, including a gift of $220,000 from the estate of one of his fellow volunteers that created The Ed Doran Care Coordination Program for D.A.P. clients.

“Guy was a wonderful supporter of Desert AIDS Project,” said David Brinkman, CEO of D.A.P. “In fact, he and his partner, Dick Taylor, were among the founding members of our Partners for Life major donor program and Dick served a number of years on our board of directors. Our hearts go out to Dick at this very difficult time and we hope that everyone will extend their sympathies on the loss of his life partner.”

Celebrity judges include Grammy Award winner Thelma Houston, Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan, and Anya Fuchs, a professional dancer featured on the ABC-TV hit, “Dancing with the Stars.” With general admission seating available at only $40, tickets are sure to go fast. VIP seating, including a cocktail and appetizers, is also available for $100. To buy tickets, please call 760-322-3554 or visit ReactionShows.com.

“We were delighted when Dave Morgan brought this event to us on behalf of Reaction Marketing,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Dave has been a major donor and supporter of D.A.P. for a long time. His company is staffed by consummate professionals at creating exciting productions like this one. I think everyone’s going to have a great time while they’re also benefiting client services at D.A.P.”

Desert Star Dancers rehearsing their performances include Kevin Bass, President of Coachella Valley Homecare and honored with the Warner Engdahl Community Service Award at D.A.P.’s 2007 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards; Elizabeth Beaubien, co-anchor of the KMIR-6 News; Nathan Clardy, Palm Springs fire fighter; Dr. Rene Dell’Acqua of the Dell’Acqua Dental Studio; Jason Dibler, General Manager of the ACE Hotel & Swim Club; Ron Duran, owner/instructor at Pilates Plus in Palm Springs; Ginger Jeffries, KESQ-3 Chief Meteorologist; and Jill Langham, Boomer in Bloom fitness expert.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Pictured above: Partners Forever legacy donor Julian di Ciurcio and his partner Rob Burrington in the Harold Matzner Serenity Garden at the Desert AIDS Project campus.

When he and his partner, Rob Burrington, moved to Palm Springs in 2000, Julian immediately contacted Desert AIDS Project with one question: “How can I help?” With his many years of experience, he quickly became Coordinator of our Care Team and a regular volunteer at our Health Center. As of this past November, Julian had logged an extraordinary 5,000+ hours of volunteer service to us. Five years ago, he and his partner, Rob Burrington became Partners for Life donors here, generously supporting our client services with their annual contributions.

Julian gets a surprise visit from Rob while working the
front desk of Desert AIDS Project where he has logged
over 5000 hours of volunteer service!

More recently, Julian decided to name Desert AIDS Project as a beneficiary in his will and trust. After his sister’s death, 18 months ago he says, “I considered a number of charitable organizations I could support in lieu of her not surviving me. I thought about my university, a theatre group I care about, and several other nonprofits. But, when I thought about where do I spend most of my time…the answer was simple: the Revivals stores, working the front desk, the Care Team, all those special events—Desert AIDS Project is obviously a big part of my life.” By naming us as a beneficiary in his will, Julian is ensuring that the “good fight” he started thirty years ago, will be carried on by others long past his own life time. We are enormously and sincerely grateful for his support in its many forms!

Please note: Since the charitable purpose of your bequest may be different from this person, you may want to contact us to discuss a bequest.

You also may want to make it easy and convenient to have a bequest included in your will. The language below shows how a bequest can very easily be included in your will.

Feel free to give this page to your attorney. If he or she has any questions, please have them contact Sue Knollenberg at phone number 760-323-9641 or e-mail us at sknollenberg@desertaidsproject.org

Broadbent was born in 1984 – the same year that Desert AIDS Project began as an all-volunteer response to the newly-emerging AIDS epidemic. She inherited HIV in utero from her crack-addicted mother.

Among the first generation of people born HIV-positive, she has been boldly discussing her disease and working to fight the spread of HIV for most of her young life, making appearances on national TV shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show, 20/20, Good Morning America and Nickelodeon Special Edition: A Conversation with Magic Johnson.

Not since Ryan White has a young person spoken out so passionately about having the virus, to fight the fear and stigma that still surround it. On Saturday, February 11, Hydeia Broadbent will be presented with the Partners in Activism Award, sponsored by Desert Regional Medical Center, at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Celebrities, red carpet glamour, and stage razzle-dazzle aside, the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards are all about honoring those who have made a significant contribution by reminding the world that “AIDS is not over.”

“I am awe-struck by this young lady,” said gala co-chair Barbara Keller. “She is truly doing exemplary work as an AIDS activist. It’s so gratifying how our wonderfully philanthropic community stands up, year after year, to support this very important work.”

Jim Casey, CEO and President of Integrated Wealth Management, Presenting Sponsor the 2011 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, agreed with his co-chair, saying “Watching the work that Hydeia does and being a part of helping her to continue with her message on our stage reinforces why the work D.A.P. does is so important.”

Keller and Casey are hoping to help Desert AIDS Project beat last year’s gala total of more than $1.33 million raised to support client services. Many individuals and organizations — including Eisenhower Medical Center, Harold Matzner, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo — are doing their part to meet that goal by returning as sponsors. Annette Bloch and Helene Galen have also returned as Award Sponsors for the Pioneer Arts and Activism Award and New Generation Arts and Activism Award, respectively. Integrated Wealth Management continues its five-year, $1 million total commitment as Presenting Sponsor.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

I’m not sure why America is so obsessed by anniversaries.  For some reason, we measure our lives by major events of the times in which we live, then categorize that human experience into neat little decades that stretch behind us like so many overstuffed shoeboxes.  The media knows this and feeds us endless docudramas, retrospectives and file footage of whatever disaster, trend, war or celebrity death occurred ten, 25 or 60 years ago.

But apparently, AIDS is the exception.  We now have two shoeboxes full of AIDS memorabilia to sort through, but the networks and cable channels have been very light in their coverage.  We’ve seen brief news stories and sound bytes but no major documentaries or retros–an odd response to an anniversary that marks the deaths of 22 million people worldwide.  Of course, sexually transmitted disease is not really sexy, and then AIDS always had that pesky gay thing attached to it.  Well, AIDS in America, while spreading among women and minority groups, will likely be perceived as a “gay thing” for many years.  And so be it.  AIDS has been our test, our war, our apotheosis.  Or at least it was for awhile.

For many gay men old enough to remember June 1981, when The New York Times first reported an ominous “gay cancer” out there, the most striking realization on this melancholy anniversary may be sheer surprise that they’re still here to observe it.  However, as a long-term survivor, I can attest that surprise is only one of innumerable and deeply lodged reactions, fears and memories about AIDS that need no particular commemoration to come to the surface.  When you’ve watched it up close from the beginning, managed to live through it as everyone around you died, and finally accepted that it will be your constant companion until…well, it all makes AIDS anniversaries seem somehow…unnecessary.

But as long as people do take stock at such times, I hope this anniversary wakes up a gay community that has–inexplicably and inexcusably–become appallingly complacent about AIDS and HIV infection.  We’ve comforted ourselves with the preposterous myth of a “post-AIDS” world, believing that magic morning-after pills will prevent us from getting sick, that benevolent government agencies and sympathetic pharmaceutical companies have our best interests at heart, and that a president previously hostile to the gay community has suddenly seen the light with the appointment of a gay Republican flunky to head the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.

Have we forgotten that AIDS policy is largely about profit and politics?  Have the drug regimens suddenly become as easy as taking aspirin?  Are poz people really going mountain-climbing after taking Crixivan, as the Merck ads would have us believe?  Sure!  I know that’s the first thing I feel like doing after downing four anti-virals every morning.

The absurdity of post-AIDS thinking should be as obvious as that of the drug companies’ ads.  In fact, it’s hard to miss.  There are daily reports of increasing drug failures, rising infection rates in young black gay and Hispanic men, and burgeoning unsafe sex among the still (for the moment) HIV-negative.  And AIDS-related obits remain in nearly every issue of The Advocate. For the next four years of the Administration of so-called compassionate conservatism (which just announced its intention to discontinue Gay Pride Day presidential commemorations) we should be camping on the doorsteps of the few gay people with the effrontery to serve in it.  While it’s fun to watch the religious right sputter at Bush for Scott Evertz’* appointment to the AIDS Policy Office, it’s more important that we stay on Evertz’ back, demanding his support for increased funding for medical and pharmaceutical research, civil rights and legislative protections, and while we’re at it, some true indication of his place in and relationship to the gay community.  Having a gay AIDS czar (I really have to laugh at that word) two decades into the plague would seem to be a major advance in progressive thinking.  So why am I not convinced that’s what it means?  Paging ACT-UP….

But beyond politics and strategizing, there are many ways to mark 20 years of AIDS and to remember our friends who died in their prime.  Glancing back in sadness must surely be balanced with looking ahead with hope, but for anyone who cares to remember, or perhaps wasn’t there, I recommend reading or re-reading Borrowed Time, by the late Paul Monette.  It’s neither an easy nor comforting read, but rather an unsentimental distillation of what life was like for many of us in the horrific pre-protease era, what AIDS was like at ground zero.  Essentially, we did two things: watched helplessly as everyone around us fell, and then wondered how long we could remain standing.  Never before have I needed to put down a memoir and compose myself before I could read on, but I did with this one.  Like gay people everywhere, however, the book is not without flaws and excesses.  Monette was eloquent, but hardly economical; he could take pages to make a point.  And his elitism and narcissism could be irritating.  But Borrowed Time remains among the best depictions of an unexpected and unprecedented era, made all the more poignant by the author’s death from AIDS in 1995.  Let’s just hope the book remains a period piece.

So when you get right down to it, 20 years of AIDS is about what most war anniversaries are about: to remember our dead and if necessary, to continue the fight.  And trust me, the fight is far from over.

*After less than a year-and-half of dubious effectiveness, Scott Evertz was replaced by Dr. Joseph O’Neill, a gay physician with vastly more impressive credentials in AIDS treatment and policy issues than his predecessor.  Evertz remains active in Log Cabin Republicans, a fact that I’ll just put out there so you may draw your own conclusions.

Our host committee members have been braving the 100+ degree temperatures to sell tickets for the event, while here in the Events corner of the D.A.P. office, we’ve been busy planning the final details for the night. We were lucky enough to secure DJ Corey D from PNN Radio (you can check him out on PrideNation.com) to bump the jams all night long. Add some finger foods from East Meets West Catering and an open bar, and its safe to say that this will be a much welcome “horror” show.

For those of creatures of the night, we’ll be distributing American Cab cards (another great sponsor!) so you can continue the party for as long as you can jump to the left and take a step to the right. Be sure to check back here for photos, and possibly videos, after the event or you can visit our Facebook page.

Buy your tickets now so you get started on that Frank-N-Furter costume!

This year’s Palm Springs AIDS Walk will be held on Saturday, October 22 at Ruth Hardy Park. Click here for more event details. The Palm Springs AIDS Walk raises over $200,000 in support of client services here at D.A.P. That’s the equivalent of over 19,000 HIV test kits – which would pay for our free and confidential HIV testing program for over 10 years. That’s also the same as paying for 800 months of emergency housing for a client, or over 1800 hours of service of a primary care provider who specializes in HIV/AIDS. That’s a lot of care we’d be able to provide. But it’s only possible with the help of walkers and donors like you.

We may be four months out before the actual event, but you can register right now and become of the first to get a headstart on raising money and helping us reach our goal of $230.000. Imagine what you can raise in four months with bake sales, dinner parties, Facebook posts, garage sales, sending emails, babysitting, singing and dancing – all resulting in continued free HIV testing, primary care for people living with HIV and AIDS, housing assistance for our most vulnerable clients, and so much more. Best thing of all? You don’t have to walk in the summer sun. You can save that for the fall!

Take this opportunity to do something great and fulfilling. Help us start fundraising today.

Register Now

“We doubled our yearly PFL pledge to show our support for an organization that continues to go above and beyond for each and every client.  By doing our small part, we all can make a difference in the lives of others who are less fortunate.”
Rob Roy and Eddie Swaim

We have seen a dramatic increase in demand for our services this year:  a 57% increase in the number of clients at our dental clinic, plus a 118% increase in the total number of visits to the dental clinic; a 63% increase in mental health services; an 8% increase in clients accessing our outpatient and ambulatory services.

“My husband and I felt compelled to increase our contribution for two reasons:  Responsibility and Impact.  The first was based on the needs of the community and of those living with HIV and AIDS at a time when funding sources are proving more and more scarce.  We feel it’s our responsibility to help bridge the gap at a time of increasing need.  Secondly, we have seen a tremendous growth in the quality and types of services being provided by D.A.P., and frankly believe that the impact of the dollars we can donate are multiplied by the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization, the staff and the volunteers.”
Ted Briggs and Ted Jarvis

Increased need for our services among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our community is painfully obvious on all fronts.  The demand for housing services alone is up a staggering 99%.  Cumulatively, meeting the increased demand for Desert AIDS Project client services in all areas is costing an additional $264,000 over previous years.

“We believe that now more than ever the fight against HIV/AIDS requires increased efforts to promote community participation and commitment. It’s clear that we’re at a crossroads and that resources are urgently needed. The kind of leadership we are witnessing within the management team, staff and Board of Directors gives the two of us nothing but hope that we are on the right track and that’s why we’ve decided to increase our level of support.”
Bruce Purdy and Barrett Shepard

The inspirational words Partners for Life members quoted here demonstrate their dedication to our cause and most importantly, to our clients.  By moving up one pledge level, or by sending an additional one-time gift, they’ve done what they can to help us support our clients through these summer months. We are profoundly grateful for their generosity.

“Doubling our yearly donation to Desert Aids Project was our way of ensuring that its vital work continues. We would urge all donors to consider an increase in their donations.”
Steve Lachs and Michael Ruvo

You too can help us meet this unprecedented level of need with unprecedented generosity.

Just prior to extended testing hours from 1:00 – 7:00 PM, the Palm Springs location at 1695 N. Palm Springs will offer an “HIV Awareness” luncheon for staff members of local senior living facilities. The aim of this lunch-and-learn session is to help attendees better understand the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS who come to them for services. The noon luncheon is being sponsored by Serenity Hospice, Palm Springs. Attendees will earn one hour of Continuing Education credit for attending.

At the Indio office of Desert AIDS Project, 81-880 Dr. Carreon Drive, Suite B-107, $10 gift cards will be given to all eligible people taking an HIV test and waiting for its results. All tests are free and confidential.

“With this first HIV/AIDS Awareness Day since we marked June 5th as the 30th anniversary of the first cases of AIDS being diagnosed in 1981, we hope lots of people will be encouraged to get tested for HIV,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Let’s hope that in another 30 years we’re not looking back and dealing with these same issues. Knowing your HIV status is an important step in safeguarding your health and, possibly, the health of others that you love.”

Invitations have been extended for local, high profile individuals to be publicly tested for HIV.

In 2006, then-Senator Barack Obama and his wife, Michele, were publicly tested for HIV in Kenya. Three years later, now-President Obama made a plea for the American public to know their HIV status. Watch the short video here.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/2009/June/20090627_HIV.mp4

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

AIDS @ 30: Testing wasn’t always an option

By John Lewis

Volunteer Co-Editor, Desert AIDS Project Community Action Newsletter

June 27, National HIV Testing Day, is an annual observance to promote HIV testing. As testing becomes more routine it’s easy to forget that 30 years ago a test for HIV hadn’t yet been invented.

When first discovered in 1981, AIDS, or GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency as it was known then), was a medical mystery. It wasn’t until 1983 when HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) was first identified and another two, very long years before the first antibody test was approved by the FDA. The creation of “the test” was considered a major milestone in the treatment and prevention of AIDS.

Since 1985, testing has improved from the ELISA test (where patients often had to wait a week or more for results) to rapid-result tests where results can be obtained in about 20 minutes. You can now even test in the privacy of your home. Such home tests, however, don’t offer the opportunity for pre- and post-test counseling about safer sex and high-risk practices.

Fortunately, Desert AIDS Project offers free and confidential HIV testing five days a week, at convenient locations throughout the area – including counseling.

If you would like to know more about the history behind HIV testing, the Kaiser Family Foundation has prepared a fact sheet that you can view here.

“We’ve come so far but there is still a long way to go in this fight against the spread of HIV and the care of those affected by it,” said Brinkman. “Since its all-volunteer beginnings in 1984, D.A.P. has been improving the lives of thousands of people throughout the Coachella Valley, thanks to the generosity of our volunteers and donors.”

Thirty years into the epidemic, significant improvements have been made in medications used to treat HIV. However, the average annual per-patient cost for these drugs is $25,000 and the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program (ADAP) is once again under a serious funding threat, putting a life-and-death game into play for those who are living with HIV or AIDS. Many of these people are living below the Federal Poverty Level and have no other recourse for paying for their costly medications.

Last July, the long-promised National HIV/AIDS Strategy was released. While one of its goals was to lower the number of new infections by 25% by 2015 and reducing HIV transmission by 30%, the infection rate in the Coachella Valley continues to average almost three times the national rate. It’s not yet clear how the National Strategy plans to address key areas of concern like this one in D.A.P.’s backyard.

“Even if the controversial Affordable Care Act, passed into law in March of last year, continues to be enacted, most of the significant advantages of this healthcare reform won’t begin until 2014 for people living with HIV/AIDS,” Brinkman continued. “With 30% of HIV-positive people nationwide having no insurance coverage at all, this is three years when medical care might not be provided at all for people who desperately need it. Let’s hope that in another 30 years we’re not looking back and dealing with these same issues. Let’s use this anniversary to remind us that we need to do all we can to continue the fight against AIDS.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit desertaidsproject or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

This was the largest number of participating restaurants in the six years that we’™ve been putting on this fundraiser, said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. We had 10 more restaurants this year and some of them have been with us since the very first year. We’™ve even heard from one of the long-timers that they’ll be back in 2012 with a 75% contribution for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on April 26th!

In addition to the generous owners, managers, and staffs of the restaurants, D.A.P. would like to thank Presenting Sponsor Bank of America and Smirnoff as Platinum Sponsor.

More than 100 volunteer ambassadors helped increase restaurant visits on this special day with personal invitations and by using social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, and Yelp. As the ambassadorsroamed through their chosen restaurants, generous patrons responded with more than $25,000 in direct donations to D.A.P.

Warren Parrot, dining at Johnny Costa Ristorante, was Grand Prize winner of the raffle, receiving two tickets each to the upcoming œTime Warp Mid-Summer Dance Party on Saturday, July 23rd and to the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala on February 11, 2012. As raffle runners-up, Robbie and Jed Orme can stock their pantry with a $250 Ralphs gift card, after dining at Cello.

To show its ongoing gratitude to its 37 generous community partners, Desert AIDS Project will help support the marketing efforts of those participating in the 2011 Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week, June 3-12.

On behalf of the more than 2,200 clients these restaurants are helping to support, Desert AIDS Project would like to thank Acqua Pazza, Amici Italian Restaurant, Azul Restaurant, Billy D’™s at the Holiday Inn, Cello’s, Cipolline Osteria, Circa 59 at The Riviera, Copley’s, El Mirasol, Grill-A-Burger in Palm Desert, Hamburger Mary Il Sogno, Jake’s, Johnny Costa’s Ristorante, King’s Highway at the AceHotel, Le Vallauris , Leon’s North, Leon’s South, LULU California Bistro, Miro’s, Native Foods Cafe, Old Creek House, Palm Greens Cafe, Peabody’s, Pinocchio in the Desert, Purple Palm at the Colony Palms Hotel, Rainbow Bar & Grill, Riccio’s Steak and Seafood, Rio Azul Mexican Bar & Grill, Roscoe Grill, Spencer’s Restaurant, Trio Restaurant, Tropicale Restaurant, Twisted Bistro, Wang’s in the Desert, Zin American Bistro, and Zini Cafe Med.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit desertaidsproject or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Simply put, a vaccine “teaches” the immune system to recognize and defend against a virus – such as HIV – or a bacteria or other disease-causing agent. This study suggests the possibility that the immune systems of HIV-infected people may eventually be able to eliminate the virus from their body altogether.

But D.A.P. finds the results reported from a nine-nation, $73 million study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health just days ago to be more immediately significant. It found that HIV medications acted as a preventive measure against spreading the disease from an HIV-infected individual with a moderately healthy immune system to their uninfected partners in 96% of study participants.

Almost 1,800 couples, 97% of whom were heterosexual, participated in the study. By random decision, about half of the HIV-infected partners began medication immediately after diagnosis. Among the other couples, the infected partner waited to start treatment until later in the disease – a common practice in many countries. All study participants were counseled on how to protect against HIV transmission and were given condoms and other prevention services.

Comparing the two rates of infection, patients taking antiretroviral drugs were 96.3% less likely to pass on the virus. Patients on antiretroviral medication are less infectious because the drugs sharply suppress the amount of HIV in the body, meaning people on treatment simply have less of the virus to transmit. Beyond reducing transmission, starting treatment right away appeared better for the health of patients. HIV weakens the immune system, leaving patients susceptible to infections, such as TB.

“Recognizing the tremendous headway the world has collectively made in the treatment and care of those with HIV and AIDS since the epidemic began, the immediate battle has to be against the continued spread of HIV,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “We encourage everyone to be tested for HIV and act on the results, whether negative or positive. If you’re negative, continue to protect yourself and others. If you’re positive, you need to make an even greater effort to protect others while getting yourself into care right away”

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, affects more than 33 million people globally, according to the United Nations agency UNAIDS. To date, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people. Because it is spread by so many methods – during sex, sharing needles, through breast milk, and in blood – there is no single, easy way to prevent infection.

Nationwide, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects women, African-Americans, and Latinos.

• Women overall represent nearly one in four newly reported cases of HIV infections in the U.S.
• Infections are five times as high among Latinas and 21 times as high among African-American women, compared to white women.
• HIV infection among Latino men is three times as high as that of white American men.
• The problem is even worse among African-Americans, where HIV infection is nine times as high the white population overall. African-American men have an infection rate seven times as high as white men.

Nearly one-third of all new HIV infections in the U.S. are among “MSM,” men who have sex with men. Social and economic factors, such as racism, homophobia, poverty, and lack of access to health care, are barriers to receiving HIV prevention services. This is particularly true for MSM of color and can contribute to the high number of AIDS-related deaths:

MSM living with AIDS account for:

• more than one in two among Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and Latinos
• nearly one in three African-Americans
• nearly two in three whites

At present, there is no cure for AIDS. While availability of medication therapy has had a dramatic impact in decreasing AIDS-related deaths, these treatment regimens are complex and costly, as well as sometimes causing serious side effects. Some patients develop resistance to the drugs being used to treat them.

“June 5th will mark 30 years since the first cases of what we now call AIDS were publicly reported,” Brinkman continued. “While D.A.P. continues to applaud efforts to find an HIV vaccine through national and global research, we’ll continue locally to provide the best possible care to those who are ill while helping to decrease the likelihood of people in our community becoming infected with HIV.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit desertaidsproject or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

You’ll be completely ready to get your groove on once you arrive at the McCallum, for some of the best disco acts of the 70s, like The Trammps, Randy Jones of The Village People, A Taste of Honey, and Maxine Nightingale. Bill and his sidekick, Kevin, will keep you “Staying Alive” as they channel their inner John Travolta, during live cut-ins during “The Lee Rayburn Show” on KNEWS-FM 94.3 throughout the evening.

D.A.P. is employing a number of social media venues – like Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, and Twitter – to help volunteer “restaurant ambassadors” fill their chosen restaurants with those who want to help provide HIV/AIDS care and prevention, just by having a meal.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit desertaidsproject or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Diners on that day will be entered in a raffle for two prizes. The Grand Prize includes two tickets each to the 2011 Mid-Summer Mixer and the 2012 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala – a value of nearly $1,000. One lucky runner-up will receive a $250 gift card to Ralphs.

“Our friends at Bank of America have been by our sides with Dining Out for Life since we first did it as a fundraiser in 2006. They seem to be our good luck charm because each year, we’ve secured more participating restaurants and raised more money,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Some people have already told us they plan to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a participating restaurant on April 28. That’s the kind of support we LOVE to get in meeting our goal of raising at least $100,000!”

D.A.P. is employing a number of social media venues – like Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, and Twitter – to help volunteer “restaurant ambassadors” fill their chosen restaurants with those who want to help provide HIV/AIDS care and prevention, just by having a meal.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit desertaidsproject or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Tom Luhnow, CEO of the Greater San Diego Business Association, welcomed Revivals as a new member of the Hillcrest business community before he and San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria wielded a pair of giant scissors to cut the ribbon that made the store’s opening official. The store aims to benefit the three San Diego area nonprofit organizations serving those living with, affected by, or at-risk for HIV/AIDS from its sales.

There are four more Revivals stores in the Palm Springs area, which benefit Desert AIDS Project in providing HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and advocacy services. Desert AIDS Project CEO David Brinkman commented, “AIDS continues to affect people everywhere, in San Diego as well as nationally and worldwide. While D.A.P. won’t be offering its own services locally, we felt it was important to do what we could to help those who are through our new Revivals store.”

Revivals will provide annual donations to the three organizations from the proceeds of the new Hillcrest store location. On a quarterly basis, the store will also provide a quantity of $10 vouchers, redeemable for merchandise at the Hillcrest Revivals store, to be distributed however the organizations deem most suitable to meet the needs of their clients. Revivals has already helped the San Diego LGBT Community Center to buy new furniture – with no mark-up by Revivals – for the Center’s lobby, library, and meeting room.

The Hillcrest Revivals store offers donated and consigned items on the first floor, with new furniture and mattresses on the mezzanine level. Luhnow urged the community to support Revivals by donating or consigning their gently used goods, shopping the store, or volunteering their time.

Free donation pick-ups can be made five days a week, Monday – Friday, by calling 619-497-1000. Anyone wishing to volunteer at the store is invited to call Melanie Jones, Revivals Volunteer Coordinator, at 760-413-6613. Volunteers will receive a discount on any donated merchandise at Revivals.

Before singing “Cockeyed Optimist” at the 17th annual gala, sponsored by Integrated Wealth Management, which grossed more than $1.35 million for D.A.P., Ms. Luft told the audience, “I’ve toured Desert AIDS Project and witnessed incredible care and compassion for men, women, and children. Especially touching was how much heart I saw in the eyes of the staff and volunteers. It is something you must all experience for yourselves. It will feed your soul. ”

Many have already taken Luft up on her offer to play tour guide at D.A.P. If you’d like to join her, please call 760-323-2118 to RSVP.

Leading the tour with her will be David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “While we appreciate the support of all the celebrities who lend their star power to our Steve Chase galas, those who live locally – like Lorna Luft and Barry Manilow – have really helped us spread the word that AIDS is not over,” said Brinkman. “They were both at last year’s Celebrity Doodles. Events like these are a fun way to help us maintain free and confidential HIV testing, while also funding essential client services.”

Hosted by TV personality and comedian Scott Nevins – who has supported D.A.P. at a number of previous events – the Celebrity Doodles fun will begin on Friday, April 1 with a VIP reception from 7:00 – 9:00 PM at ASI at 668 N. Palm Canyon.

Those wishing to mingle a bit more with the stars of stage and screen – or just pick up a doodle or two by Barry Manilow, Suzanne Somers, Lily Tomlin, or a variety of others – will also want to be at the Saturday, April 2 party at the O’Donnell House. Valet service will be available in the back corner of the north parking lot of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

For more details or to buy tickets, please visit celebritydoodles or call the ticket hotline at 760-325-7890.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit desertaidsproject or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

“Although change is the nature of volunteer boards, this is a departure that we all feel deeply,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “During his long tenure with us, Andrew has been well-loved and respected not only by his fellow board members but also by clients, staff, and donors throughout the years. His length of service has made him a sort of unofficial historian for us and we hope that he will always continue to be involved with D.A.P. in other ways.”

During his time with Desert AIDS Project, Green has walked in every Palm Springs AIDS Walk since its start in 1988, as well as chairing both the governance and client committees. Along with a variety of other community leaders and D.A.P. clients, Green also appeared in the “AIDS is not over” public service campaign currently running on local TV stations. The public service announcement recently received the coveted Mosaic Award during the March 11, 2011 ADDY Awards for its multi-cultural diversity.

“Working with the clients, staff and board to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS has been my passion and an important part of my ministry,” said Green. “Although it’s hard to let go, I can do it because the staff and board at D.A.P. are excellent. I know that our clients will continue to see improved health, quality of life, and longevity as a result of their work.” As Green departs, Desert AIDS Project welcomes Ted Briggs and Stephen Winters as new board members.

With a BS from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Tulane University, Briggs became a Certified Public Accountant before leaving the corporate world more than 20 years ago to become a consultant. As a nationally recognized leader in sales and marketing management and compensation, he has been a donor to and supporter of D.A.P. for many years.

Also a long-time donor-supporter of D.A.P., Winters is a retired corporate attorney who oversaw an annual operating budget of more than $150 million and a staff of more than 250 professionals. In addition to making significant financial contributions to and raising funds for the arts and LGBT causes, Steve has served as a board member of AIDS Pastoral Care Network in Chicago.

“During my time at D.A.P., I have found all of our board members to be incredibly dedicated and hard-working. Their complete commitment to our missions of HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and advocacy reinvigorates me every day,” said Brinkman.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

James Clark, deceased in 2009, had a long history of helping people in need, including his co-workers, women seeking help from abusive relationships, and children of colleagues. Because he enjoyed supporting others who participated in the Palm Springs AIDS Walk and other causes that directly impacted individual lives, his trust administrators felt Desert AIDS Project was a worthy recipient of this bequest.

“This generous gift is most welcomed in light of continued loss of public funding since the California Office of AIDS budget sustained a hit of more than $80 million in 2009,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “That resulted in a loss of almost $500,000 in HIV prevention and testing funding to D.A.P.”

Desert AIDS Project is thankful not only for the generosity of the Clark Trust but also the philanthropic spirit of the desert cities community, as demonstrated by the 17th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards on Saturday, March 12. “Since D.A.P. has an annual operating budget of almost $1 million a month, the Steve Chase gala is a very important part of the fundraising strategy that makes it possible for us to continue our daily missions of HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and advocacy,” Brinkman added. “Although final receipts are not yet known, the gala will help sustain our efforts for almost a month of operations.”

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

“The new Visitors Center, surrounded by a beautiful desert garden, is stunning. It’s a fitting tribute to the amazing community spirit and philanthropy that Walter and Leonore Annenberg continue to show, even after they’ve left us,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “There is no more fitting location for D.A.P. to recognize the contributions of humanitarians who continue to help battle HIV/AIDS, both locally and globally.”

Although the historic Annenberg home will not be open for viewing on March 11, D.A.P.’s VIP visitors will be able to view exhibits and interactive multimedia kiosks, as well as enjoy the spectacular views of the nine-acre gardens and Mt. San Jacinto beyond from the great room of the Center. Gala co-chairs Barbara Keller and Jim Casey, also members of the Board of Desert AIDS Project, will welcome guests and give a preview of the next evening’s events.

The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards honor both national and local leaders, as well as other celebrities dedicated to the mission of fighting HIV and AIDS. This year’s honorees include the iconic Dionne Warwick of “That’s what friends are for” fame; Pauley Perrette, social activist and star of “NCIS” on CBS-TV; Prof. Luc Montagnier, co-discover of HIV and winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine; and local community leaders Patrick Jordan and Tammy Fox.

The gala on Saturday evening, beginning at 5:30 PM and also hosted by Joan Collins and George Hamilton, promises to be a musical extravaganza with selections by four-time-Tony-Award-winning Audra McDonald, Argentine tenor Ivan Gancedo, and the cast of “RENT.” Celebrities slated to appear include Ann-Margret, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Jackie Collins, Linda Gray, Lorna Luft, Bob Mackie, Donna Mills, Della Reese, Jimmy Van Patten, Michael Weatherly, and others.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, which operates the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating entity established by the Annenberg Foundation to hold high level retreats that address serious issues facing the nation and the world community and to educate the public on the historical significance of Sunnylands. More information may be found online at www.sunnylands.org.

From February 28 through March 12, Baccarat will be supporting Desert AIDS Project in yet another way. During that time, Baccarat will donate 20% of any purchase made by a customer mentioning Desert AIDS Project.

This promotion ends on March 12 – when the 17th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, presented by Integrated Wealth Management, happens at the Palm Springs Convention Center. That’s the night that Dr. Luc Montagnier, Dionne Warwick, and Pauley Perrette, as well as locals Tammy Fox and Patrick Jordan, will be honored and take home a little “Baccarat bling” of their own.

Montagnier, the 2008 winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, will receive a Lifetime Achievement in Science and Medicine Award. With 2011 marking the 25th anniversary of recording the iconic “That’s what friends are for” with Elton John and others, Dionne Warwick will receive the 2011 Pioneer Arts and Activism Award. The 2011 New Generation Arts and Activism Award will be presented to Pauley Perrette, long-time advocate of a number of charitable causes and star of the hit TV series, NCIS.

Fox and Jordan will receive the 100 WOMEN and Partners for Life awards, respectively. Both continue to be involved in significant leadership and fundraising positions for D.A.P., volunteering their time, talent, and money.

If you’d like to support Desert AIDS Project, call 760-323-2118 for more information or tickets to the 2011 Steve Chase gala. Or if a piece of Baccarat crystal is in your future, consider buying it between February 28 and March 12.

Baccarat will also be holding two special, in-store events on Wednesday, March 2 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM and Sunday, March 5 from 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM. Baccarat is located at 73-111 El Paseo, #109. For more information, please call them at 760-346-6805.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

“Although we’re based in Palm Springs, we know that AIDS continues to affect people everywhere,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Thirty years later, this is an epidemic that continues to rage, in San Diego just as it does nationally and worldwide. We so respect the social services and HIV prevention efforts that Mama’s Kitchen, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, and Being Alive offer. We felt it was important to do what we could to help through our new Revivals store.”

After meeting with the chief executives of the three organizations, Brinkman determined that Revivals can provide an annual donation from the proceeds of the new Hillcrest store location, as well as vouchers throughout the year for some of the organizations’ clients. Each month, the store will provide a quantity of $10 vouchers, redeemable for merchandise at Revivals in Hillcrest, to be distributed however the organizations deem most suitable to meet the needs of their clients.

“We serve a population that is primarily low-income at Desert AIDS Project and I’m sure it’s not so different with clients of the organizations we want to help benefit,” said Brinkman. “If these Revivals vouchers can help their clients to pick up a pair of jeans or a coffeepot, we’ll feel like we’ve done a little bit to help.”

Details about how D.A.P. can also benefit these organizations with a direct financial contribution are still being worked out but Brinkman stressed, “We want to be a good neighbor that helps to make San Diego a better place to live.”

Desert AIDS Project serves people living with HIV and AIDS through a comprehensive network of support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations in the desert cities of the greater Palm Springs area. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

ather at 3:45 PM to view the completed solar collector project installed on carport roofs of the Vista Sunrise apartment complex on D.A.P.’s campus at 1695 N. Sunrise Way in Palm Springs.

The Leadership Council – whose partners include the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Desert Regional Medical Center, the Desert Water Agency, the Palm Springs Economic Development Corporation, Southern California Edison, and Southern California Gas Company, among others – works to help create a more sustainable community in Palm Springs.

“Supporting this solar project on our campus was very important for D.A.P. in our ongoing efforts to promote ‘greener’ energy consumption while finding ways to be even more fiscally responsible to the needs of low-income people living with HIV or AIDS,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Simply put, solar energy is not only a great way to decrease carbon emissions into our atmosphere but it also helps save a significant amount of money by contributing to the power grid. That’s the kind of socially-responsible bargain that D.A.P. couldn’t pass up.”

Through Sunwheel Energy Partners, the carport-roof solar project was undertaken at no expense to D.A.P. and largely completed over a two-month period, in order to have minimum impact on residents at the Vista Sunrise apartments. “Since California is requiring 30% of our energy to be made from renewable sources by the year 2020, this only made sense. Now, we’re eager to see just how much of a difference it will make in lowering electric bills for Vista Sunrise residents,” said Brinkman. Sunwheel estimates that this solar installation will offset about 40% of historical tenant usage and about 75% of historical common area usage.

The City of Palm Springs, along with the County of Riverside, The Auen Foundation, and the City of Palm Desert, continues to provide funding for D.A.P.’s Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Project. Installation of a cooling tower and replacement of rooftop air conditioning units with more efficient air handlers on D.A.P.’s main facility have already helped to reduce energy consumption. The cost savings realized allow those resources to support direct client services instead.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

You might agree that being entertained by a couple of beautiful Broadway stars, like Audra McDonald and Lorna Luft, followed by the handsome Argentinean tenor Iván Gancédo, is a pretty good way to spend an evening. But just to make sure that attendees are having a thoroughly good time at the 17th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards at the Palm Springs Convention Center on March 12, the 2011 gala committee has decided to plus-it-up a bit.

This year’s finale will be a performance by the original Broadway cast of the musical “RENT,” the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. One of the longest-running shows on Broadway, winning a Tony for Best Musical, among other awards, the success of “RENT” led to several national tours, numerous foreign productions, and a major motion picture.

No stranger to the Tony herself, Audra McDonald earned an unprecedented three Tony Awards before turning 30 – for “Carousel,” “Master Class,” and “Ragtime” – and added a fourth since then for “A Raisin in the Sun.” Her soprano voice, classically-trained at The Julliard School, uniquely blends with an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling. No wonder that her theatrical work seems to combine effortlessly with her major career as a concert and recording artist who appears regularly on the great stages of the world. As if she’s not busy enough, Ms. McDonald is an Emmy-nominated TV actress whose career includes a current role as Dr. Naomi Bennett in the fourth season of the ABC-TV hit series “Private Practice.”

Lorna Luft’s career has encompassed virtually every arena of entertainment, as a celebrated live performer, stage-film-TV actress, best-selling author, recording artist, and Emmy-nominated producer. Her exuberant concert engagements have introduced her to the world’s most prestigious venues including triumphant performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium, and Prince Edward Theatre. She’s had the honor of performing in tribute concerts honoring Sammy Davis, Jr. and Ira Gershwin, both held at London’s Royal Albert Hall and for President Bush at the Kennedy Center for the Inaugural Anniversary Gala. One of her most ambitious projects to date is the highly acclaimed multi-media production “Songs My Mother Taught Me – A Celebration of the Music of Judy Garland,” melding one of the world’s most familiar songbooks with personal memories of a loving daughter.

Iván Gancédo also understands the importance of honoring his family, which led him to follow in a four-generation tradition and become an attorney in his native Argentina. But when he attended a performance of “La Bohème” at one of the world’s great opera palaces, Argentina’s Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, his passion would not be denied. He studied vocal technique in Buenos Aires where, through his acting and repertoire training, Russian pianist Rozita Zozoulia imparted to Iván the secrets of how to enthrall an audience. “He manages to enchant the audience,” observed music critic Oscar Thompson, “not just by his voice of exceptional range, but by the way he knows how to capture the audience with his expression.”

Around the time the Gancédo family firm was founded, “La Bohème” composer Giacomo Puccini was at the height of his productivity. Little did Puccini know that one day the luscious splendor of his creation’s world would be replaced with the coarseness and noise of modern-day New York City in the age-defining “RENT,” which aimed to “bring musical theater to the MTV generation.” When the cast of the original Broadway production steps on the stage at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, audience members will experience the struggles and successes of those with HIV and AIDS, as well as those who love them.

As the “AIDS is not over” public service announcements featuring community leaders, donors, volunteers, and clients who support Desert AIDS Project continue to play on local TV and radio, you are invited to join D.A.P. as they look back over yet another year of their own struggles and successes at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards.

Come help them honor the contributions of honorees including Dr. Luc Montagnier, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine, as well as Dionne Warwick, Pauley Perrette, and local award winners Tammy Fox and Patrick Jordan. Tickets and sponsorships are available by calling 760-323-2118, ext 266 or visiting desertaidsproject.org/stevechase.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

D.A.P. will offer HIV testing from 2:00 – 6:00 PM on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, beginning January 12, 2011, at the church located at 66272 First Street in Desert Hot Springs. The free and confidential tests are conducted with a simple swab of the inside of the cheek – no needle or blood draw necessary – and results are available in 20 minutes with post-test counseling. No appointment is necessary. For more information, call Jose de la Cruz at 760-323-2118, ext. 243.

Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.