COMMUNITY EVENTS IN APRIL
Fighting AIDS AT THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH by john solleder
AIDS WALK ORANGE COUNTY is both a fun-
PARENTS & CAREGIVERS OF LGBTQ YOUTH SUPPORT GROUP The Center Long Beach’s Mentoring Youth
Through Education (MYTE) program is creat- ing a support group geared especially for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ youth. The mission of the support group is to allow par- ents and caregivers a forum to openly explore their thoughts and emotions through listen- ing and speaking with a group of peers, while obtaining accurate information about the LGBTQ community. Participants can expect a climate of safety, acceptance and trust. Group facilitators will be on hand to provide encour- agement, support and help with achieving goals. For more information, contact The Center Long Beach Youth Program Manager, Kyle Bullock, at 562.434.4455, ext. 227 at or
youth@centerlb.org.
ART SALE LAUNCH PARTY Get the first chance to acquire unique art
items at the AIDS Assistance Thrift Store’s Art Sale Launch Party on Friday, April 13. The benefit event is a fantastic opportunity to snag art items—paintings, sculptures, folk art, mixed media, photography, one-of-a-kind pieces and much more—all at incredibly reasonable prices before they go up for sale to the general public. Tickets to the Art Sale Launch Party are available for purchase at the store during regular business hours now through the night of the event. The $10 ticket price is a charitable donation that is appli- cable toward art purchases during the launch party. The AIDS Assistance Thrift Store Art Sale Launch Party goes from 6 to 9 p.m. Long Beach AIDS Assistance Thrift Store is on Antique Row at 2011 East Fourth Street in Long Beach. For more information, call 562.987.5353 or visit
facebook.com/lbaidsassist.
by randy hope 12 RAGE monthly | APRIL 2012
draiser and an opportunity to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, and it is just around the corner. On Sunday, May 6, thousands of participants will gather together at Disneyland to raise money for HIV/AIDS services. The event is organized by AIDS Services Foundation Orange County, whose mis- sion is to prevent the spread of HIV and improve the lives of the men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Orange County. Participation couldn’t be easier. Simply visit their
website
ocasf.org and click on the AIDS Walk link at the bottom of the page. Participants can regis- ter individually, or form a team with their friends, family, or co-workers. The minimum registration fee is $50, which participants can pay out of their own pocket, or through fundraising efforts. Marc Montminy, the foundation’s Director of
Communications and Public Relations, says that the majority of participants are part of a team and he encourages participants to form them with their friends, family, and co-workers as a fun way to participate. “The majority of them are team members,” he explains. “We have very few indi- vidual walkers.” Forming a team gives participants the opportunity to show off their creativity by adopting a group theme or even costumes. Of course, fundraising is what the whole event
is about and while friends, family, and co-workers are the obvious people to hit-up for donations, Montminy suggests that people think outside the box and talk to their employers because many companies are willing to match funds raised by their employees. “Check into corporate matching gifts. I think that’s something that a lot of people overlook, but if their companies do matching,
then that doubles their donation.” Social media is another fundraising tool that
participants have had great success with. Partici- pants in the past have used Facebook to let their friends know that they are taking part and looking for sponsors. Then, when someone makes a dona- tion, they can be tagged in a thank you message so that it appears on their wall, which then lets all of their friends know about it, which can often lead to further donations from these friends of friends. The AIDS Services Foundation has great expec-
tations for this year’s event. In 2011, approximately 4,000 people participated in the walk and the organization’s goal this year is to increase that by 25 percent to have 5,000 people participate, with a similar increase in donations. “Last year we raised just over $615,000 and again we’re looking to raise $750,000 this year,” says Montminy. One of the distinguishing things about this
event from others in Southern California, is that it takes place at Disneyland. The 5k route starts at the Mickey and Friends parking structure, proceeds along the tram route, and then continues through both the Disneyland and California Adventure parks. There will be limited registration on the day
of the event, so participants are encouraged to register online in advance at
ocasf.org. People of all ages can participate and children under 3 years old do not have to pay, so bring the whole family. Opening ceremonies will take place at the Main St. hub inside the park and the walk starts at 7:00 a.m., people are encouraged to be there no later than 6:30 a.m. in order to give themselves time to get into the park.
For more information call them at 949.809.5700 or visit the ASF web page at
ocasf.org.
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