community AQUATIKA
RED DRESS 2018:
SERIOUS ABOUT FUNDRAISING, SERIOUS ABOUT FUN by joel martens
EVERY TICKET SALE, EVERY
SPONSOR AND EVERY DONATION HELPS MEET OUR GOALS AND REMINDSUS THAT WE ARE ALL
DOING SOMETHING THAT IS BOTH A GOOD TIME AND IMPACTFUL IN THE COMMUNITY.”
There’s a great song by Magic! with the lyric, “Hey
you with the red dress on. I got a lot of love and it’s growing strong. When I see you with your red dress on, I gotta find a way to take it off. You in that red dress, You with that red dress on…” You’ll have an outrageous and delightful
opportunity to remember and think of that little ditty, when you join all the beautiful people turning San Diego’s Port Pavilion red for this year’s Red Dress Party, aptly titled Aquatika! If it’s anything like previous years, attendees for certain will be donning some of the sparkliest, skimpiest, most stunning, spectacular red regalia imaginable: Sequins, and feathers and rhinestones, “Oh my!” I think we’ll leave it up to attendees as to whether they want to “find a way to take it off...” Though one never knows what the end of the evening will bring! Part of the Think Red Project, the original event
was a huge success, taking place in 2015 at Balboa Park’s Museum of Man, so much so that even organizers were surprised. As Co-Founder and CEO Steven Shyne articulated, “In our first year I remember thinking, ‘Will anyone come to the event?’ Now, we have a strong, loyal fanbase, a passionate board and executive team.” The group knew they had an event that could carry their goals to the next level. “As we grow, so do our goals,” he explained. “This year we are focusing ever more on sponsorships and monetary donations to ensure we remain a very efficient fundraising machine. In short, we still want to throw a great party, but we want to make sure we
are fundraising more than ever.” Shyne explained the original inspiration for the
Red Dress Party’s inception. “I’d say it’s two-fold: Firstly, we had seen the success of red dress parties and celebrations in other cities and thought to ourselves, ‘Someone should do that here in San Diego,’ finally realizing, ‘We should do that here in San Diego!’ The real tipping point however, was seeing a reduction in funding for HIV/AIDS services while local demand continued to increase… This is truly where our story began.” The San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative is the
organization’s main beneficiary and Shyne explained how the relationship between the two groups works. “Our larger organization, the Think Red Project wanted to focus on what we were best at, throwing events. We partnered with the San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative (SDHFC) in order to do so. We kept the event and marketing engine going, while SDHFC focuses on the grant approval and funding processes. That does not mean we are totally hands-off however, we have a seat on the SDHFC committee so we do oversee and influence the funds we raise.” Last year’s event was completely sold-out and they
knew they had to rethink locations, Shyne explained the decision to move to the San Diego Port Pavilion. “We definitely outgrew our two previous venues, but we also wanted to mix things up... Our event is a dreamlike experience and the best dreams are new ones! I am certain our guests will love everything, es- pecially our VIP guests: all bars, entertainment and so
on, are on one level, so there are no stairs, no elevators and no fuss. In addition, our team is so excited to be right on San Diego Bay, which will add tremendously to the theme and ambiance of the event.” Speaking of themes, we wondered why they
chose the name Aquatika? “We wanted to capture an idea,” offered Shyne. “An underwater kingdom and queendom where everyone can be their most outrageous selves. I’m hoping we’ll see exotic sea creatures, merfolk, mariners, and landlubbers alike.” Though as the promo materials say, following the theme is not required, but a red dress is absolutely non-negotiable! The event is still ultimately a fundraiser whose
underlying message is about HIV awareness, “We want to make sure our pop-up party is more than a good time, but serves as a reminder that we are out to create change,” explained Shyne. “We are doing more and partnering with other organizations to get the word out on sexual health and HIV awareness. It’s a party ‘for you by you’ and our attendees truly make this event happen. Every ticket sale, every sponsor and every donation helps meet our goals and reminds us that we are all doing something that is both a good time and impactful in the community. So, and I speak for the entire RDPSD team, we invite you to be brave, let loose, and celebrate impact!”
The Red Dress Party: Aquatika takes place Saturday, September 29 at San Diego’s Port Pavilion on the Broadway Pier. For tickets and more information, go to
reddresspartysd.com.
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RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2018
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