NEXT BIG DESERT THING:THE
GALA KICKOFF PARTY
STEVE CHASE
by thom senzee It’s difficult to say which is more fun, the Steve
Chase Humanitarian Awards or the Steve Chase Hu- manitarian Awards Kickoff party. Okay, it’s probably the former. But those who have done both know the kick-off party is a close runner-up for the prize of most-anticipated annual event in the desert. But before you get too excited, the Steve Chase
Awards Kickoff Party at the Hard Rock Hotel is an invitation-only event. That said, if indeed you are one of the fortunate few who have been invited, there’s a special kick to this year’s kickoff: All attend- ees are also invited to a one-hour performance by Top Rock, a wall-of-sound that pays tribute to the likes of Aerosmith, Guns & Roses and The Beatles. To be clear, few fundraising events in the world
can claim the level of glamour, passion and talent that the Steve Chase Awards can. The event has ben- efited Desert AIDS Project (DAP) since 1995, having raised literally millions of dollars along the way. According to DAP, the event was first organized
by, and named for, famed Interior Designer Steve Chase, and has become one of the most coveted tickets in town through the years. “The galas are a prime highlight of the desert community’s social season,” proclaim DAP marketers. “Honorees, award presenters and entertainers in past years have included: Carol Channing, Matt Bomer, Peter Gallagher, Ann-Margret, Tom Hanks, Betty Ford, Diahann Carroll, Senator Ted Kennedy, Patti La- Belle, Betty White, Shirley MacLaine, Barry Manilow, Liza Minnelli, Debbie Reynolds and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.”
“To be clear, few fundraising
events in the world, much less in the
Coachella Valley, can claim the
level of glamour, passion and talent that the Steve Chase Awards can.”
According to a DAP official, the kickoff party of-
fers a chance to honor local volunteers and create anticipation for the main event in February. David Kaplan and Glenn Ostergaard will receive this year’s Partners for Life Award at the kickoff, while Terri Ke-
Palm Springs 46 RAGE monthly | NOVEMBER 2013 | NOVEMBER 2013
tover will receive the 100 Women Award. The former program benefits DAP’s general fund, while 100 Women helps women and children in the region. So how does Desert AIDS Project pull off such
a star-studded gala every year? Let’s face it; the Coachella Valley’s advantage over most other com- munities of its size is having so many world-class creative types from the arts, from Hollywood and from the broader entertainment industry, more- over, as part-time and even full-time residents. The main 2014 Awards Gala will be at the Palm
Springs Convention Center, Saturday, February 8. The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Kickoff Party will beFriday, November 8.
For more information on both go to
desertaidsproject.org.
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