By Valerie Milano
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 2/13/18 – “Have fun with fashion and help others living with HIV!” Those concepts are key at the annual “creative formal” Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala held in Palm Springs. The compassionate support of these party-goers empowers Desert AIDS Project to think globally and act locally!
This year the awards gala red carpet began at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 10th at the Palm Springs Convention Center prior to a cocktail reception and silent auction. The red carpet for the Steve Chase event has become a party in its own right!
Dinner began at 7 p.m. followed by the awards ceremony recognizing Tony Marchese of Trio Restaurant with the Partners for Life Award and Dr. Shubha Kerkar with the 100 Women Award. Congratulations to Tony and Shubha!
Entertainment was provided by the “original funky divas” of En Vogue, recognized as one of the top five highest-selling American female music groups in history. The after-party featured a performance by Thelma Houston, best known for the runaway success of her disco classic “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” In 2013 the City of West Hollywood named January 29th “Thelma Houston Day” in recognition of her many charitable activities on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients.
The 2018 gala was hosted by Carson Kressley, Emmy-Award winning TV personality, fashion designer, and New York Times best-selling author. Kressley will be remembered by many for his breakout turn as a style savant on Bravo’s QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY. He was also a fan favorite on the 13th season of DANCING WITH THE STARS.
At the eleventh hour Kressley replaced Ross Mathews, who is slated to host the 2019 Steve Chase event. Mathews will be competing on the CBS reality show CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER and we at THT all wish him luck!
Desert AIDS Project’s dedicated team of medical and social service professionals serve 4,200 individuals to enhance the health of their local community. The Steve Chase galas attract thousands of smartly-attired attendees every year.
Producing sponsors for the 2018 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala were Harold Matzner and Walgreens. Under the leadership of CEO David Brinkman, Desert AIDS Project has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the sixth consecutive year, landing DAP in the top 6% of non-profits rated. Visit the following link to learn more:
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIFS), many strategies will be needed to close the book on the AIDS epidemic. One thing is certain: it will be impossible to end the epidemic without bringing HIV treatment to all who need it! By 2020, the goal is that 90 percent of all people who have HIV/AIDS will know their status, be on treatment, and have viral suppression (90-90-90).
