Red Ribbons for Life 2008

November 24 - December 1 2008

Photo Courtesy of Wolfgang Bang!

RED RIBBONS FOR LIFE

On Friday night November 28th in a the cozy Fireside Cafe in downtown Surrey a cross section of the community came together to remember World Aids Day 2008 and raise awareness and funds for HIV AIDS Charities locally and internationally.
Martin Rooney a person living with HIV for some 20 years rallied the community together and with a BBQ, Bingo, Silent Auction and entertainment by some of the local professional drag entertainers he and Mz Adrien, his co organizer, raised a total of $2251.96 for Aids Tijuana Fund - Mexico, The Surrey HIV Foodbank Fresh Produce Fund and The Court of Surrey Charities of Reign 5.
Martin and Mz Adrien spoke passionately about the charities in question and a most wonderful successful event took place.
Thank you to Boyd and Doug (OISRCS) for prepping the BBQ, Cinemazoo for the donation of the use of a BBQ.
Taylor Mayd, Mz Adrien & Amanda Luv (co hosts of the successful Luv SHow) for entertaining us as nuns for the Bingo.
Kamelle Toe, Max Bylander, Taylor Mayd, Joycelyn Starr, Brent Wildfire, Wolfgang Bang & Elektra Quecha who entertained us the show with Martin closing out the perfomances with Josh Groban's "To Where You Are" wearing a red sequined body sized Aids Ribbon.
Thank you to Robert Speed and The Fireside Cafe for allowing us to host the event in your establishment, To DJ Larry for you unwaivering support of the community and your daughter Dena for being willing to help set up, tear down and be a general assistant when needed and to the following who donated money and or prizes for the event -
CUPE Local 402, Clancy Meats, DJ Larry, The Luv Show, Dell Bowling Lanes, Pacific Inn Resort & Convention Center, Les Grandes Dames - Surrey, Positive Haven, Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Center, Mz A Designs, Mel Gill & Wayne Steel,The Now Newspaper, EPAMA, OISRCS, ISCOSEPA, behindcloseddoors.ca.

A special thank you to Amanda and Iris Higginbottom for greeting guests as they arrived and playing accountants for the evening.

Cheques donated in advance were $700 ($500 from VPS Legacy Grant and $200 CUPE Local 402) to Surrey HIV Foodbank Fresh Produce Fund $200($100 from CUPE Local 402 and $100 from Max Bylander) to Aids Tijuana, and then the evening's net proceeds were split as follows
$578.80 to Surrey HIV Foodbank Fresh Produce Fund, $578.80 to EPAMA Charities and $200 to Aids Tijuana.

It takes some $2400 per year to maintain Fresh Produce on the Shelves of the Surrey HIV Food bank through March 2010 and all that is left raise to guarantee no interruption in this service is a mere $700 or $58.33 a month beginning in March of 2009.

Aids Tijuana on the other hand is in need of constant support. (to read more about Aids Tijuana please see www.martinstorm.com and click on the appropriate link.

Once again on behalf of this campaign we thank EVERYONE that came out, donated and supported and had a fun evening with us. A community united can achieve so much!

Martin Rooney

Pics from Red Ribbons For Life