COME TO THE CENTER’S PARTY DRESS RED OR RED DRESS?
by thom senzee IF YOU ARE GOING TO CLAIM that your annual fundraising event has become a big hit after only a
couple times out in a town like Palm Springs, where fabulous fund-raisers are—let’s face it—fairly fre- quent, you’d better deliver. By “mixing hijinks with fashion,” deliver they will, say organizers of the LGBT Community Center of the Desert’s Red Dress | Dress Red Party. Intrigued by that promise, The Rage Monthly asked event chair and Center Board Member Lisa Middle- ton for a little more information about the event onSaturday, March 8. Here’s what we learned:
How do you explain the rapidly-gained popularity of this fundraiser? This event is the LGBT Community Center of the
Desert’s third “Red Dress” event. It is a signature event for The Center and unique in the desert. Our goal is for this to be a fun event, the kind that appeals to a large audience of LGBT community members and allies. We make sure to keep it light and fun during the event. The serious part is the tremendous support events such as “Red Dress | Dress Red” provide for the programs and services at The Center Palm Springs. Any inspiration from AIDS Lifecycle’s “Red Dress Day?” We all owe a debt to the inspiration from the AIDS
Lifecycle event and other Red Dress Parties going back for years; and everyone seems to have their own take on the event. It is wonderful to see how many cities have taken up this event in some form and made it their own.
What will be different this year? There are two big changes this year. The first is
one is making sure it’s even more inclusive with a “Red Dress | Dress Red” message. It’s about dressing in red and having fun, whether you’re comfortable wearing a dress, a kilt, a tuxedo, a leisure suit or dressing in red street clothes. It’s all about donning red attire to stand up, celebrate and be counted as a member or supporter of the LGBT community. The second is that with the event having grown
so quickly, we are moving to the Commune event space at the Ace Hotel. The Ace has one of the best vibes of any place in Palm Springs. It is all about fun and whether it’s your first time there or your 50th, this event is a great opportunity to see the Com- mune as you have never seen it before. It is a night not to be missed. How much do you hope to raise and what programs do funds from the party help support? We are hoping to double the net proceeds
from last year’s event, which will go toward all of the programs, just some of which include our NestEggg Food Bank, our counseling and mental health programs, our transgender support groups, men’s and women’s dining groups, a community computer lab and our many classes and programs including recovery programs. What’s your favorite category? My favorite category for the contest is the “most
creative.” The amount of thought, work and creativ- ity that some of these men and women put into their outfits is truly inspiring! What will you be wearing to the party? Now you know I can’t tell you that until you see me on the red carpet!
The Red Dress Party includes a fashion contest,
hosted by emcee Michael Holmes of The Judy Show and features many celebrity guest judges. Past judges have included Michael Costello, Joey English, Jenifer Daniels, Bill “Bulldog” Feingold, Judy Allen, and Donna MacMillan.
For tickets and more information to the event call 760.416.7790 or go
tothecenterps.org.
“It’s about dressing in red and having fun, whether you’re comfortable wearing a dress, a kilt, a tuxedo, a leisure suit or dressing in red street clothes.”
Palm Springs 46 RAGE monthlyRAGE monthly | FEBRUARY 2014
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