Philadelphia Center celebrates 25th Auction Against AIDS
The Philadelphia Center HIV/AIDS resource center for Northwest Louisiana will celebrate their 25th annual Auction Against AIDS 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Horseshoe Riverdome.
In honor of their silver anniversary, the theme of the event will be “Stars of the Silver Screen Black and White Ball.”
“This is the third year the event will be at the Horseshoe Riverdome. Having it as a black-and-white ball doesn’t mean it’s a formal attire; we just encourage people to wear black and white to keep up with the scene,” Garrett Johnson, director of resource development for the Philadelphia Center, said. “We don’t care what anyone wears. We only ask that it be black or white. It’s a take on the Capote Parties of the era.”
The event will include a silent and live auction, engaging raffles and entertainment featuring local pianist Michael Henderson, as well as Hollywood legends being brought to life by female impersonators.
“It was originally started as an art auction, so we do predominantly have a lot of art in our silent auction area. We will have paintings all along the walls,” Johnson said. “I love the fact that we have really great local artists that donate their work, and we provide tickets for them in return. So not only do we get to see the art, you also get to meet the artists. It’s a great event if people are looking to get the latest and greatest in the art world. We will have them there.”
Live auction items include trips to Broadway, the American Music Awards, Costa Rica, Napa Valley and memorabilia from the stars of Hollywood, sports, and music.
Lonnie McCray, chairman for the event, said there will also be three special raffles for attendees to take part. “The first is ‘Gone with the Winner’; people can buy tickets for $50 at the event, and it’s a drawdown style raffle with the chance to win a three-night trip for two to any place in the United States with a Fairmont Resort,” McCray said. “Another special contest is ‘It’s a Wonderful Libation.’ We have a huge barrel of alcohol that board members have donated, so for $5 you will get the chance to win that barrel. We also have what we call the ‘Rat Pack Draw,’ where we will be selling playing cards for $25, and you will win a piece of jewelry with that one. On top of that, for the silent auction we have a lot of wonderful things as well.”
The money from the auction goes to the operating costs for the Philadelphia Center, as well as programs for the community. “This is our main fundraiser so it’s for our general operating costs, but we do have a lot of new programs that we are funding that some will go toward. Two of the main newest ones that we have are the PC Wellness Center, which is for gay, bi and trans men. It’s for HIV testing and STD testing twice a month. It puts more of a social aspect as it’s an after-hours thing – the day after our event at Central Station,” Johnson said. “We also have our partnership with the MLK Health Center to create our HIV clinic. Once a month, we have a doctor over there who is volunteering his time for patients to come and meet with him as another resource besides the main University Health System. We are regaining people that have been out of care for a year, or are not regularly in care by working with their case manager to make sure they are at that clinic,” Johnson said. “We are also in the middle of a half a million dollar renovation of Mercy Center, which is our permanent housing for people with HIV. The money will go to match with the money from the city.”
The Philadelphia Center is still accepting auction item donations, sponsorships and advance ticket sales leading up to the event. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be provided with all proceeds going toward The Philadelphia Center. To purchase tickets or sponsorships, visit www.philadelphiacenter.org or call 222-6633, Ext. 2011.
–Mandy Byrd
