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Events Posts

You can quit smoking. We can help.

by Desert AIDS

Join the American Lung Association’s eight-week quit smoking program, conveniently held at the Desert AIDS Project. Hundreds of thousands of people have become smoke-free through a Freedom From Smoking® Group Clinic which offers a structured, systematic approach to quitting smoking.

Overseen by a certified facilitator, you will learn:

  • How to know if you’re really ready to quit
  • Medications that can increase your success
  • Lifestyle changes to make quitting easier
  • How to prepare for your quit day
  • Coping strategies for managing stress & avoiding weight gain
  • How to stay smokefree for good

Freedom From Smoking Group Quit Program

Fridays (beginning on October 4, 2019) at 2:00 p.m.

Call (760) 992-0469 or email [email protected] to RSVP. Our first session starts on Friday, October 4th at 2:00 p.m.

Visit Lung.org/ffs for more information about the program or our online Freedom From Smoking® Plus if a Group Clinic isn’t right for your quit.

DAP Client Social Security Disability In …

by Desert AIDS

Social Security Disability informational session – new claims and/or termination from disability

Attorney and Law Professor, Troy A. Tureau, LM, J.D., B.A. will be answering DAP Client questions on Social Security Disability pertaining to new claims, appeals and potential termination.

Location: DHD Room

2019 Desert AIDS Walk ‘Walk a Day …

by Desert AIDS

On Saturday, October 19 over 2,000 community members will unite in Ruth Hardy Park to walk in the Desert AIDS Walk in support of Desert AIDS Project, presented by Desert Care Network. This year’s walk, with the theme of ‘Walk A Day in Our Shoes’, will follow a 2.5-mile route through the new downtown Palm Springs and is notable for the diversity of community members who come together as teams each year to support Desert AIDS Project and our community partners.

Desert AIDS Project’s Chief Development Officer, Darrell Tucci on this year’s walk: “Desert AIDS Project has a long history as a leader in community healthcare and is unique in its approach to providing comprehensive services to underserved communities. We are, at our core, a non-profit health care center, specializing in HIV and infectious disease, supported in large part by the communities we serve.

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Desert AIDS Walk News

Desert AIDS Walk News.

Posted by Facebook on Friday, December 5, 2014

Desert AIDS Walk 2019 begins at 8 a.m. and will feature live entertainment, a Health & Wellness Festival featuring over 40 vendor booths, and a kid’s activity zone.

Desert AIDS Project CEO, David Brinkman is expected to update the community on the progress D.A.P. has made in eliminating HIV/AIDS and the work that remains to be done to ensure community health becomes a reality for every resident of the Coachella Valley. 

The walk kicks off at 9 a.m. and will be led by six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, Hank Plante who was featured in the documentary 5B about the first AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital.  He will be joined by other health care providers who continue to lead the work being done to care for our community.  Register today!

Click here for Sponsor Opportunities!

Visit Desert AIDS Walk 2019

Hope & Recovery Speaker Meeting

by Desert AIDS

Date: September 24, 2019

Time: 1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Desert AIDS Project Library

Hear two fabulous speakers from the Coachella Valley recovery community share their experience, strength, and hope. Lunch Provided.

An open invitation to hear two fabulous speakers from the Coachella Valley recovery community. Karen G. and Benjamin S. will be sharing their experience, strength, and hope followed by a question and answer session. Lunch will be provided. For questions regarding this event, contact Bill Bruner at [email protected] or (760) 992-0446.

Aging Positively – 4th Annual HIV  …

by Desert AIDS

Event Contact: JP Allen
(760) 992-0440
Desert AIDS Project
[email protected]

Press Contact: Jack Bunting
Desert AIDS Project
(760) 656-8472
[email protected]

When: Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Joslyn Senior Center 73750 Catalina Way Palm Desert, CA 92260

Complimentary beverages, snacks and lunch provided.

Please RSVP your attendance to J.P. Allen phone: (760) 992-0440 or email: [email protected]. Please also RSVP for FREE Shuttle service from Desert AIDS Project Campus to/from Joslyn Senior Center as well as for ASL services. Thank you!

Palm Desert, CA — Aging Positively, the annual Coachella Valley conference aimed at providing practical information as well as inspiration for those aging with HIV, will explore Self-Care, Sexual Isolation, Loneliness and Medicare/Prescription Drug Coverage. And this year, the 4x Gold Medal Olympic Champion Greg Louganis will provide an uplifting and inspirational keynote address.

People with HIV are living longer lives, thanks to advancements in scientific research and medical treatments; about half of HIV positive individuals in the US are age 50 and above. This is in stark contrast to the days when Desert AIDS Project was founded (1984), when HIV was a death sentence.

Speaker line-up

  • Moderator: Brad Fuhr, California Oasis Marketing Group and Gay Desert Guide
  • Keynote: Olympic Champion Greg Louganis
  • “Own Your Future: Essential Conversations You Must Have Now” by LKAPS Social Committee Co-Chair Richard Bass and Dr. Brian De Vries, ProfessorEmeritus of Gerontology, SFSU.
  • “Sexual Isolation & Loneliness” by Jill Hingston, PhD, The LGBT Center Palm Springs
  • “Medicare & Prescription Drug Coverage” by Brian Bilhartz, Bilhartz Desert Insurance

About Greg Louganis

Greg Louganis is simply the greatest diver in history. You would be hard pressed to find a person who watched either the 1984 or 1988 Olympics who was not enthralled by the poetry that was Greg Louganis: the beauty and power of his diving captured the world. 2016 marked the 40th Anniversary of Greg’s first Olympic win- a silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, in platform diving, at the tender age of 16. Eight years later he became the first male diver to get double gold in springboard and platform in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and again in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He has earned a total of 5 Olympic medals, 5 World Championship titles and 47 national titles — more than any person in U.S. history. His records remain unbroken.

In 1988 Greg Louganis also tested positive for HIV. Coming out as a gay athlete in a time when it simply was not done, his 1995 autobiography, Breaking the Surface, spent five weeks at Number One on the New York Times bestseller list and his PGA and Emmy nominated Documentary Back on Board is receiving rave reviews nationwide and can now be seen on HBO. In 2016 General Mills announced that Greg would receive a Wheaties Box for his achievements, and that development was so significant it warranted a New York Times exclusive. He had the honor of being included in ESPN’s 2016 annual Body Issue, and in 2017 was the first openly gay Grand Marshal of The Rose Parade. In 2019, he continues to serve as Sports Director for Red Bull Cliff Diving, a division of Red Bull, one of the world’s best known brands.

The story of Greg’s life, is a story that has inspired millions, and he regularly speaks to the most significant organizations and companies in the world to share that story. Today, as a speaker, author, actor, activist, humanitarian and designer, he continues his tradition of excellence in every field he touches.

About The Aging Positively Conference

The Aging Positively Conference is conceived and sponsored by medical and service providers, researchers, community groups, and media groups from the Coachella Valley:

Borrego Health

Desert Arc

Desert AIDS Project

Desert Care Network

Desert Oasis Healthcare

Eisenhower Health

Gay Desert Guide

HIV + Aging Project – Palm Springs

Jewish Family Service of the Desert

Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs (LKAPS)

PromoHomo.TV

The DOCK

The LGBTQ Community Center (AKA The Center)

The Joslyn Center

About Desert AIDS Project

Desert AIDS Project (D.A.P.) is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Palm Springs, CA offering D.A.P. Total Care – a combination of medical, dental, counseling, social services, support groups, alternative therapies, in-house pharmacy and lab, and other health and wellness services. D.A.P.’s sexual health clinic, The DOCK, offers STD testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and free HIV and HCV testing. D.A.P.’s Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign, the nation’s first region-wide HIV testing and access to care initiative, was recognized by the White House for helping to bring about an AIDS-free future. D.A.P. is rated a “Top 20 HIV Charity” by About.com.

Visit www.desertaidsproject.org, www.thedockclinic.org, and www.gettestedcoachellavalley.org to learn more.

Dining Out for Life Coachella Valley 201 …

by Desert AIDS

A powerful story about the impact of a community in action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Steven Henke

[email protected]

(760)656-8401

Palm Springs, CA – Eighty-three local restaurants, bars, bakeries and coffee shops participated in Dining Out for Life on April 25 donating 33% or more of their food, beverage, and liquor gross sales to support Desert AIDS Project. Setting a record this year, fifteen participants donated 50% or more. The local event, which raised $307,000, was part of the larger Dining Out for Life program which occurs on the last Thursday of April each year.  In 2019, there were 49 Dining Out For Life events throughout North America. 2,459 restaurants participated, and with the support of 4,000 volunteers and 400,000 diners, more than $4 million was raised to support local HIV services.

Harold Matzner donated 100% of Spencer’s gross revenue in honor of his friend, Barbara Keller who championed the mission of DAP and for whom DAP’s main building will be renamed ‘The Barbara Keller LOVE Building’.  Matzner’s restaurant was the top fundraising location in North America for the second year in a row joined by Lulu California Bistro and Trio Restaurant as the top three fundraising locations.  Jointly, the three locations raised over $74,000.

Locally, the event generates great community pride of place.  Greater Palm Springs raised more funds than cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco.   “This is a powerful story about the impact of generous restaurants and our local community.” Said Desert AIDS Project’s Chief Development Officer, Darrel Tucci who credits the generosity of Great Palm Springs business owners for raising a record amount this year for client services at Desert AIDS Project (DAP).  “Palm Springs is the smallest participating market, but because of their commitment to DAP, we were second in overall fundraising again this year.  No other market can boast the level of commitment shown in Greater Palm Springs.”

Beyond fundraising to support DAP’s clients and services, the event generates community awareness of HIV/AIDS and supports Desert AIDS Project’s mission to enhance health and well-being of its community. Desert AIDS Project provides compassionate care for 6,500 patients and clients.  Desert AIDS Project’s goal and specialty is helping people achieve overall health. DAP is in the midst of a capital campaign, D.A.P. Vision 2020, which when fully funded, will enable it to double the number of patients and clients served.  Desert AIDS Project CEO, David Brinkman explains why the expansion is so important.  “There are 27,000 transgender individuals in our service area that need culturally competent care.  40,000 low income residents near DAP are still without healthcare and our neighbors facing a mental health crisis often wait weeks or months for an appointment.  Treatment for addiction, is often out of reach and affordable housing is almost non-existent in Palm Springs.  The future of DAP is humanitarian, moving individuals into care and onward toward a life of wellness.

Brinkman reflected on the impact of Dining Out for Life Greater Palm Springs. “Few other events bring DAP closer to our tap root of community action. DAP was founded on unconditional love and guided by community members who defined and funded solutions to help those in need. I hope the community shares our great sense of pride in being home to the top three fundraising restaurants in North America for the third year in a row.”  Over 10,000 residents ‘made one meal matter’ at participating locations throughout the day sporting their ‘I Dined’ badges of honor. 

Sponsors of Dining Out for Life Greater Palm Springs included Sysco Riverside, Nonstop Wellness, NBC Palm Springs, The Desert Sun, CV Independent, Standard Magazine, Gay Desert Guide.  The date for Dining Out for Life Greater Palm Springs 2020 is Thursday, April 26.

Dining Out for Life Greater Palm Springs

Donated 100%

Donated 69%

Donated 60%

Donated 50%

Donated 33%

About Desert AIDS Project

Desert AIDS Project (D.A.P.) is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Palm Springs, CA offering D.A.P. Total Care – a combination of medical, dental, counseling, social services, support groups, alternative therapies, in-house pharmacy and lab, and other health and wellness services.  D.A.P.’s sexual health clinic, The DOCK, offers STD testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. D.A.P.’s Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign, the nation’s first region-wide free HIV testing and access to care initiative, was recognized by the White House for helping to bring about an AIDS-free future.  D.A.P. has earned a “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator for the sixth consecutive year – landing D.A.P. in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that we exceed industry standards in terms of our financial health, accountability,  and transparency. Visit www.desertaidsproject.org, www.thedockclinic.org, and www.gettestedcoachellavalley.org to learn more.

###

Queen of the Desert 2019

by Desert AIDS

In the LGBTQ community, drag queens have a long history of saying yes to hosting, performing and fundraising – often at their own expense, and always with a firm commitment to social equality and compassionate care. 

GET TICKETS HERE!

On May 31, five drag queens will continue that tradition by competing for the title of “Queen of the Desert”, decided by a panel of local celebrities.

You won’t want to miss this year’s drag realness. This event sells out fast every year.

Remember, all proceeds benefit client services at Desert AIDS Project, so sashay your way and buy your tickets now.  This year’s lineup and judges to be announced in the coming weeks.

Doors open at 6pm for advance seating.  Show starts at 7pm.  Visit the bar and concessions beforehand.

GET TICKETS HERE!

Meet the Contestants!

Sheena Wolfe

Local girl Sheena Wolfe is 29 years old. She is single and ready to find that special someone, to hold her purse, buy her food and tell her she’s pretty. Some of Sheena’s favorite quotes are “I said what I said,”  “No I’m not mad, that’s just my face,” and “Can I get a 20 piece chicken nuggets?” Sheena has been entertaining audiences for 3 years and loves every second of it.

She is passionate about her drag, from her lip sync to her looks and is always ready to turn it out. I want to be able to inspire people to be themselves without being afraid, that no matter what people may think or say about you it’s ok to be different and weird and that things will always get better even when it doesn’t seem like it. The work that The Desert AIDS Project is doing by giving our community a place to go where we can get help, feel safe and be accepted with no judgement is beyond amazing. Being able to help raise money so that The Desert AIDS Project can continue to change lives is the reason I am doing this competition.

Click here to support SHEENA WOLFE

Sadie Ladie

Sadie Ladie was born in 1914. Wait. No! …2014 in San Francisco.  Sadie blossomed and flourished as she was inspired into her Queendom as a performer through her charitable work within the realm of the non-profit organization – The Imperial Court of San Francisco. Drag or not, Sadie has always had a kind and caring heart for the community and the world, trying to

leave a legacy of making an impact and difference in the world.  Sadie has dedicated countless hours of volunteerism in raising funds for organizations but has also mentored and guided up-and-coming drag queens to join and make a difference in OUR world.  She is honored to be a contestant tonight and will continue to make a difference here in Palm Springs.  THIS lady is committed, determined and grateful for the opportunity to serve this community as Sadie Ladie.

Click here to support SADIE LADIE

Angelique VaGorgeous

I am a full time drag queen, making wigs, costumes and managing the entertainment at CHILL BAR. I can turn trash into treasure. Coming from a background that was not blessed with financial stability, I would have to get crafty. I would rip apart old sleeping bags and tie them around my waist to make a gown and feel my fantasy!

The Desert AIDS Project means everything to me, and our community. It gives a safe, professional environment to get tested, regardless of having insurance; no one is ever turned away. Many of us are afraid to know the truth, but we owe it to ourselves to get tested and promote safe sex. Let’s prove everyone wrong.

 
Click here to support ANGELIQUE VAGORGEOUS

Anya Camins

I have been a full time drag entertainer, and now produce drag shows and events at CHILL BAR with my husband Jacob/Tiffany. I’ve participated in pageants in the past and still yet to win a crown, but hopefully I will this year at Queen Of The Desert!  We’ve brought community involvement to CHILL BAR, working with organizations such as The LGBT Community Center of the Desert,

The Desert AIDS Project, Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Palm Springs Rodeo and others. Enhancing and promoting the health and well-being of our community means each and every one of us as a member of our LGBT community should take pride and responsibility in sharing our knowledge, experiences and educating whether through creating events as entertainers and producers or coming out to support these events as community members and advocates. I am excited to be a part of the The Desert AIDS Project for this honorable event.

Click here to support ANYA CAMINS

Kourtanay Caliente

I’ve been doing drag for a little over 10 years. I’ve met such amazing and talented people. I’ve gone from looking like a rugby player wearing a dress to a true “Lady of The Stage.” I truly want to educate people on how amazingly similar our lives are. I want LGBTQIA+ people to feel safe in their everyday lives and educate our allies in helping protect the bonds we’ve created not only as allies but as human beings.

I want to stamp LOVE and UNITY within our own community. The Desert AIDS Project means creating a sense of sanity in a situation of chaos. It means being selfless, kind, and offering a helping heart.

Click here to support KOURTANAY CALIENTE

Steve Chase Star Dedication February 8 P …

by Desert AIDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steven Henke
[email protected]
(760) 656-8401

PALM SPRINGS, CA (January 16, 2019) –Designer and humanitarian Steve Chase will receive the 427th star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on February 8.  The dedication ceremony will take place at 4:30PM at the steps of the Palm Springs Art Museum.  Three of the valleys most notable non-profit organizations will come together to honor Chase for the impact his support made locally.  David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project, Allen Monroe, CEO of The Living Desert, and Katherine Hough, Chief Curator at the Palm Springs Art Museum will each pay tribute to a man who impacted the work of their organizations.

Board Chair of Desert AIDS Project, Steve Kaufer, was a personal friend of Steve Chase and remembers Chase’s commitment to serving people living with HIV/AIDS.  “D.A.P. started in 1984, and we had a small office, and then we moved to a facility on Vella Road in Palm Springs—but it was an industrial building,” Kaufer said. “I don’t know what it had been used for before we moved in, but it was pretty rough around the edges, and Steve became involved. He used his talents and his firm, and he also leaned on a lot of his vendors to donate services and products that could be used in his work at the D.A.P. to make it look pretty.”

“He felt that, just because we were a charity, and we were dealing a lot of times with people who lived below the poverty level, we didn’t have to have an office that looked horrible. He wanted people who came in to have a nice environment in which to be in, to receive their care, and to work.”

In the 1980s and early 1990s, it was difficult to raise money for HIV- and AIDS-related service organizations like D.A.P., because the virus and disease such carried a huge stigma.

“It wasn’t popular to be a corporate sponsor of an AIDS program, and many people in the area of normal philanthropy didn’t look at AIDS as an area that they wanted to get involved in,” Kaufer said. “Steve recognized that, and he used his celebrity and his contacts with major stars and big people like Joan Kroc, and President and Mrs. (Gerald) Ford, to try to expand the giving that D.A.P. received from groups that we normally wouldn’t get funding from.”

Those contacts paid huge dividends, as did Chase’s personal generosity. Not only did he lend significant support to D.A.P. – he also gave major support to the organizations today known as The Living Desert and Gardens, and the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Steve Chase founded Steve Chase Associates, his Rancho Mirage interior design firm, in 1980, following a lengthy and noted affiliation with Arthur Elrod Associates of Palm Springs. An acclaimed designer, Chase was active for many years in community organizations, including the Desert AIDS Project, the Palm Springs Desert Museum, The Living Desert Reserve, and The McCallum Theatre. During his firm’s formative stages, Chase offered design, consulting, and purchasing services to the McCallum Theatre, confirming his longtime passion for the performing arts. In addition, numerous projects were undertaken at The Living Desert Reserve where Chase was a Board Member. Chase worked closely with Reserve administration, offering both design and financial support for additions including Eagle Canyon and the Meerkat Café.

Chase contributed $2.5 million to The Living Desert Reserve for construction of an administrative center and a collection of California landscape art. In addition, he gave $1.5 million and 132 works of art to the Palm Springs Desert Museum, which opened the Steve Chase Art Wing and Education Center in 1996.

Chase’s introduction to the Desert AIDS Project followed his Board work with The Design Alliance to Combat AIDS (D.A.C.A.) in Los Angeles. The impact and need for local community services was apparent early, and Chase was committed to serving the desert community following his departure from the D.A.C.A. Board. He was an annual participant in the Desert AIDS Walk and he was instrumental in bringing “Heartstrings” to the Coachella Valley in 1992. This production was followed by “A Valentine’s Gala” in 1993, when Betty Ford, Joan Kroc, and Chase were honored for their longtime compassion and personal dedication to the Desert AIDS Project and its clients. Chase introduced his friends, business associates, and clients to the Desert AIDS Project and encouraged their financial and personal involvement. This introduction led to the dedication and donation of the private residence of Joan Kroc to Desert AIDS Project, a significant donation which allowed the D.A.P. to expand and broaden its mission.

Chase’s professional honors included Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame Award, and Designer of the Year, presented to him by Designers West Magazine. The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards honors Steve Chase’s commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Read The Art of Giving Back – Local award-winning interior designer, art collector, and philanthropist Steve Chase left nothing to chance.

The Palm Springs Walk of Stars dedication serves as the beginning to a weekend of events honoring the legacy of Steve Chase.  The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards VIP party will follow the dedication inside the Palm Springs Art Museum for a guest list of donors and supporters of D.A.P.  The 25th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards is February 9 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. 

To reserve your place at the party for the 25th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, go to  www.stevechase25.eventbrite.com or call 760-992-0445.

This year’s awards will posthumously honor Steve Chase with Steve Chase Humanitarian Award honoring the impact 25 years of fundraising has made at Desert AIDS Project.  The evening will also honor Geoff Kors and James Williamson’s marriage to community service when they are presented with the Partners for Life Award.  Kors and Williamson have a long history of community leadership, focusing their time and resources on social and political issues as varied as LGBTQA+ rights, education, and healthcare.  Long-time supporters of Desert AIDS Project, both are members of Partners For Life.  Locally, Williamson served on the Palm Springs School Board and Kors is a member of the Palm Springs City Council.

D.A.P. Chief Development Officer, Darrell Tucci explained why this award is so important. “Few individuals have made a lasting impact in our community with the purpose and clarity of Geoff and James.”

About Desert AIDS Project

Desert AIDS Project (D.A.P.) is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Palm Springs, CA offering D.A.P. Total Care – a combination of medical, dental, counseling, social services, support groups, alternative therapies, in-house pharmacy and lab, and other health and wellness services.  D.A.P.’s sexual health clinic, The DOCK, offers STD testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. D.A.P.’s Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign, the nation’s first region-wide free HIV testing and access to care initiative, was recognized by the White House for helping to bring about an AIDS-free future.  D.A.P. has earned a “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator for the sixth consecutive year – landing D.A.P. in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that we exceed industry standards in terms of our financial health, accountability, and transparency. Visit www.desertaidsproject.org, www.thedockclinic.org, and www.gettestedcoachellavalley.org to learn more.

5th Annual Everyday Heroes Awards

by Desert AIDS

5th Annual Everyday Heroes
November 30, 2018
Palm Springs Cultural Center

Desert AIDS Project honors local everyday heroes who’ve made an impact in our community. The annual event, now in its fifth year, features an outdoor reception, awards presentations, live entertainment and an after-party. Traditionally held on December 1, World AIDS Day, this year’s event will be held a day prior on November 30. Click here for tickets to the 5th Annual everyday Heroes Awards!