AFAN Kicks Off Promo At Long Beach Pride

Despite the devastating blow of Proposition 8 at the onset of 2009, California’s gay activists seem reinvigorated. This weekend, Long Beach Pride had over 80,000 attendees come out in support of gay rights.

AFAN was the proud guest of StudioOUT.com, a gay internet radio station and a major sponsor of Long Beach Pride. AFAN kicked off its Black & White Party promotions by distributing hot pink Frisbees. They received overwhelming support from Pride attendees. Tickets are $35, which includes all you can eat and drink. Tickets go on sale June 1.




“It was an honor to take part in the festivities and really see the community come together,” said AFAN Client Services Supervisor, Jared Hafen.

The weekend was filled with a variety of StudioOUT.com artists, including Ari Gold, Guy B as well as other performances by Smashmouth, Jazmine Sullivan, Alec Mapa, Kat Deluna, and Sara Bareilles. One of the highlights included Long Beach Pride’s version of American Idol.

Pride Star was an amazing hit, especially with one ‘celebrity’ judges being Duncan Payton, the CEO and Founder of StudioOUT.com. Payton’s constructive criticism included everything from fashion advice to how to hold a microphone. His judging critiques were almost as entertaining as the performances.


The winner of Pride Star was 19 year old, Niko, from Bakersfield, Calif. He performed Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” and George Michael’s “Feeling Good.” Niko won over the crowd with his youthful exuberance and unforgettable dimples.

Niko, supported by friends and family, won a $2,500 cash prize, a production deal with his original single by Media Temple Productions, and the airing of his new single featured on the StudioOUT.com Network.


Join AFAN and StudioOUT.com at LA Pride on June 13 and 14 and San Diego Pride on July 18 and 19. Visit the StudioOUT.com booth to win some amazing promotional items for the Black & White Party, held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s pool on August 22.

We hope to see you there!

Camp Courage Helps Children With HIV/AIDS

For its second consecutive year, Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) will host Camp Courage, a summer camp for southern Nevada kids (ages 5-15) who are infected by HIV/AIDS.

Last summer, the trip included a ride across the state line to San Diego. In four short days, the children attended a play at the Starlight Theater, interacted with the amazing exhibits at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, saw Shamu at Sea World, and swam in the Pacific Ocean. This, of course, was only the beginning of what the campers saw, did, and experienced.


The camp is shorter this year, but still packed with all the fun!

The campers will arrive at AFAN’s office at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17. There, they will be greeted by counselors and given all the items they need for their camp. That night, they will participate in a talent show, play games, win prizes, and enjoy all the pizza, pop corn, and candy they can eat (within reason, of course).

The very next day, everyone will wake up, pack up, and begin the trip to Disneyland! The goal for Camp Courage is to have the campers arrive in time for the park opening at 10 a.m.!

Then, all day long, campers will be free to roam with their counselors and ride the rides, like Space Mountain, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and many others. They will also be able to enjoy lunch in the park, at the restaurant of their choice. At 5 p.m., they will begin the short ride home to Las Vegas. One full night and day of fun!

Would you like to know more? AFAN could still use some help. To volunteer or for more information, please e-mail AFAN.

We're still accepting donations from people with big hearts too! If you would like to sponsor a camper, please visit AFAN's dedicated Camp Courage sponsor page.

AIDS Walk Las Vegas Sets Record

More than 8,000 participants raised over $401,000 during this year's AIDS Walk Las Vegas. The event set a new record for individual donations that will help Aid for AIDS of Nevada provide direct service programs, food programs, prevention and education programs, and community outreach.

“We are thrilled that the community not only donated to the event, but also came out in over-whelming support of the cause,” said Jennifer Morss, executive director of AFAN. “It was breathtaking to stand on the stage and see the community support AFAN regardless of the current economic situation.”



During the last six months, AFAN has seen a continued rise in individual support of their agency. Although many corporate sponsors were unable to support the AIDS Walk this year, individual participants and 235 teams worked harder than ever.

The AIDS Walk’s top fundraiser, Judith Domingo-Vicerra, raised $16,415 in support of the cause. Her team raised $17,475, making it the second highest team fundraiser this year. Team Jubilee, Team Tech Results, and Team Winos also raised more than $7,000.

Individual donations was not the only record set at AIDS Walk Las Vegas. Penn & Teller, which hosted their popular Penn & Teller Challenge, set a personal team challenge record by raising $61,292.32.

Penn & Teller matched dollar for dollar of the amount raised, bringing their total to $122,584.64 WOW!

In addition to the astounding support of the AIDS Walk, AFAN used the opportunity to announce the date and venue of the 23rd Annual Black & White Party, August 22 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Baskow & Associates will also be a major sponsor of the event, promising new and exciting entertainment for a whole new feel. For more information about the Black & White Party, e-mail info(at)afanlv.org for more information.

AIDS Walk Added To BloggersUnite.org

BloggersUnite.org, a new social network dedicated to providing nonprofit organizations exposure to bloggers and social networkers who want to do good, selected AIDS Walk Las Vegas — Everyone Walks! as one of ten local nonprofit events to be featured along with 27 other international events.

Being listed on the network exposes the walk to hundreds and thousands of bloggers and social networkers, encouraging them to help raise awareness and raise funds for the event. You can help too.

By joining BloggersUnite.org and then subscribing to the event, participants will be able to add graphic badges to their Web sites, blogs, and some social network profile pages that link back to the event page. The event page at Bloggers Unite provides supporters with various resources and a direct link to the AIDS Walk donation page. Here is an example:



In the days ahead, Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) will be adding resources for bloggers and social network members, including suggested topic backgrounders and fact sheets. If you live in Las Vegas and have a Web site, blog, or social network profile, we would be grateful if you could help us get the word out.

Last year, the AIDS Walk included more than 250 corporate and community teams and 7,000 walkers who raised more than $550,000. This year, while we are confident the event will be a success, we have only raised $38,785 with the event only six weeks away. We need to do better.

AIDS Walk is vital for AFAN to continue serving more than 3,000 people afflicted with HIV or AIDS in Southern Nevada. These critical funds also help AFAN promote prevention campaigns, which is especially important as young adults, ages 18-24, currently represent more than half of all new AIDS cases.

Bloggers Unite is no stranger to AFAN's cause. Prior to becoming a standalone social network, it was a BlogCatalog.com initiative that encouraged bloggers to do good by raising awareness for underserved social awareness campaigns.

Last December, BlogCatalog teamed up with AIDS.gov and NIDA.gov to promote World AIDS Day. The campaign was an important component in generating more than 15,000 news stories and 250,000 blog posts that reached more than 62.5 million readers. According to AIDS.gov, its Web site traffic more than doubled and many new visitors have continued to participate on its site.

As an event that touches more than 5,000 people locally and more than 1.1 million people in the United States, we know every story, post, social network mention, participant, and contributor makes a tremendous difference. Your support is appreciated.

Everyone Will Walk On April 19

Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) has led the AIDS Walk for over 18 years. It represents one of the largest fundraising and awareness opportunities in Nevada. We encourage you to find out more about the AIDS Walk Las Vegas and register.

Last year, more than 7,000 people walked, including 250 corporate and community teams such as MGM Mirage, Macy’s, Focus Property Group, M.A.C Cosmetics, UNLV, Wells Fargo, and Penn & Teller. Together, they raised more than $550,000.

With your support, we can do better. We will walk until that point in time when AFAN is no longer effective, our services are no longer needed, and our purpose is no longer essential to the solution. When you visit the registration page, please take a moment to look at what our top sponsors have done so far.