ACRIA’s 23nd Annual Holiday Dinner, Presented by GMHC, Raises $350,000 For Lifesaving HIV/AIDS Programs
Stephanie's Child (Rosé, Lagoona Bloo & Jan Sport) and Kelsey Louie
Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
NEW YORK (December 14, 2018)—ACRIA held its 23nd annual signature winter fundraising event—the Holiday Dinner—on Thursday night at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, raising $350,000 to support the ACRIA Artists Ending AIDS Fund at Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). The landmark event celebrated the organization’s year-old strategic partnership with GMHC and welcomed 250 high-profile friends, supporters, artists, designers, media, and philanthropists for cocktails and a seated dinner. After performances by Stephanie’s Child and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Nine winner Sasha Velour, a paddle raise was conducted by Sara Friedlander, International Director and Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art at Christie’s.
Since its inception, the Holiday Dinner has raised more than $10 million to ensure that people living with HIV and AIDS can enjoy longer, healthier lives through ACRIA’s research studies on older adults living with HIV/AIDS; its youth prevention and education initiatives; and its service delivery trainings. Those programs are stronger now that ACRIA has partnered with GMHC.
The event honored new OUT Editor-in-Chief Phillip Picardi with the Love Heals Young Leadership Award, presented by Sasha Velour; photographer Nan Goldin with the Artists Ending AIDS Award, presented by gallerist Marian Goodman; and actor and activist Alan Cumming with the Elizabeth Taylor Award, presented by fashion designer Kenneth Cole.
Guests in attendance included GMHC CEO and ACRIA Executive Director Kelsey Louie, ACRIA Advisory Board President Stewart Shining, ACRIA Advisory Board Member Jason Wu, Malcolm Carfrae, Gillian Hearst, Jack Pierson, Neve Campbell and JJ Feild, Stephanie Seymour Brant, Sandra Martens, Raquel Willis, GMHC Board Co-Chair Michael Harwood, Kevin Carrigan, Monica Lewinsky, Isabel Rattazzi, Donna Karan, and Maria Cuomo Cole, Michael Rauch, Sandra Brant, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino, Jeremy Kost, Stefania Bortlami, Ales Ortuzar, Anne Collier, Tabboo!, John Derian, Peter McGough, Hal Rubenstein, Quinn Tivey, Vincent Gagliostro, Sam Shahid, Frank de Biasi, David Kleinberg, and many more.
Stephanie Child’s Performance, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
Sasha Velour’s Performance, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
Sasha and Johnny Velour, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
Phillip Picardi & Dr. Darien Sutton, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
Mirian Goodman, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
Alan Cumming, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
Nan Goldin, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
Kenneth Cole & Donna Karan, Photo Courtesy of BFA Images
About ACRIA
ACRIA envisions a world where all people with HIV receive the treatment and support they need to lead healthy, productive lives and where transmissions of the virus have been eliminated. For more information, visit www.acria.org.
About Gay Men's Health Crisis
Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) is the world's first HIV/AIDS service organization. GMHC is on the front lines providing services to over 13,000 people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Programs include testing, prevention, nutrition, legal, supportive housing, mental health, and substance use services. GMHC also advocates for stronger public policies at the local, state, and federal level with the goal of ending AIDS as an epidemic. For more information, visit www.gmhc.org.
