by thom senzee It’s back and probably the desert’s hottest ticket of the year! Febru-
ary is the month for the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala. The 2014 rendition is especially important and exciting because this year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. “Whether their entertainment tastes run to Broadway musical theatre, dance or great movies, anyone attending the 20th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards will get a bit of it all,” said Barbara Keller, who has been co-chairing the event with gala co-chair Jim Casey since 2009. There will be plenty of world-class entertainment at the gala this year,
but awards are what this show is truly all
about.Curt Ringness, immediate past chair of the Desert AIDS Project (DAP) board of directors, will receive the 30th Anniversary Board of Directors’—Distinguished Leadership Award in recognition of his service to the organization since 2000. Terri Ketover, also a DAP board member, will receive the 100 Women Award, in honor of her having helped to more than double the ranks of the 100 Women annual giving program. 100 Women benefits women and children affected by HIV/ AIDS. Also, as a salute to their many years of support to Desert AIDS Project, David Kaplan andGlenn Ostergaard will be honored with the Partners for Life Award. Additionally, a celebrity honoree (or two) will also be awarded, as one or
more yet-to-be-identified “Hollywood heavyweights” will be in attendance, to accept a special Arts And Activism Award honoring “AIDS in Cinema” dur- ing the past 30 years. “And then we’ve got some great entertainment to keep the evening moving along with a guarantee you’ll leave with a smile on your face and a song in your heart,” Casey said. Part of the entertainment lineup that Casey promises will dazzle is Jane
Krakowski, AKA, “Jenna Maroney” on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning 30 Rock. Her work there has earned Krakowski three Emmy nominations and credit for a 2009 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. As Steve Chase Awards organizers recently noted, Kra- kowsi’s “…acting, singing and comedic chops place Jane squarely among
the most talented triple-threats in entertainment today…” And who could forget her performance as “Elaine Vassal” in the offbeat sitcomAlly McBeal? That’s far from the only performer the 20th Annual Steve Chase Awards
will feature as part of its array of A-list entertainment. Among the stars booked to shine in the name of fundraising for HIV/AIDS services are, LaTonya Holmes (Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple stage production), Nita Whitaker LaFontaine (Ragtime), Tomasina Abate (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Eden Espinosa (“Elphaba” inWicked), Eric Martsolf (Passions, Days of Our Lives), choreographer Ray Leeper and the So You Think You Can Dance All-Stars. Newbies to the desert may be wondering (or feel too embarrassed to
ask), “who is Steve Chase, anyway?” The Answer, a giant in design and of philanthropy—especially in the greater Palm Springs area. Chase founded the iconic design firm, Steve Chase & Associates in the early 1980s after a career at the legendary desert design studio of Arthur Elrod. At the same time, through sizeable gifts of both time and treasure to a long list of civic, arts and charitable organizations throughout the Coachella Valley, Steve Chase became a philanthropic leader, bringing new life and purpose to organizations ranging from the Living Desert Reserve and the McCallum Theatre to the Palm Springs Art Museum and, of course, the Desert AIDS Project. His donations and the gifts he helped source for nonprofit organiza- tions, including DAP, number in the several millions of dollars. Those who would like to follow in Chase’s footsteps, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale, can do so at the awards ceremony by participating in the silent auction featuring luxury goods and services including travel, dining, entertainment, celebrity experiences, shows and concerts, jewelry, art and home décor.
The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards gala takes place on Saturday, February 8 at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed at 7 p.m. with dinner, awards and entertainment. For tickets and more information go
todesertaidsproject.org.
Palm Springs 42 RAGE monthly | FEBRUARY 2014 RAGE monthly
ANTICIPATION BUILDS: Steve Chase Awards
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