Mon. August 25, 2008
Chicago, IL -
On Thursday, August 28, 2008, one of the most interesting and innovative fundraisers of the year will take place throughout the city: the Fifth Anniversary of Bar AIDS. Started here in Chicago in 2004 to benefit AIDSCare, Bar AIDS is a fun and festive philanthropic evening - an intoxicating mix of one part night-on-the-town, two parts fundraiser, and a dash of HIV/AIDS awareness. Modeled after the very successful Dining Out for Life program, bars participating in Bar AIDS will donate a portion of their August 28th sales proceeds to AIDSCare, a 16-year-old Chicago non-profit organization.
AIDSCare: A Re-Introduction
Started in 1992, AIDSCare is a very important HIV/AIDS service organization that assists Chicagoans living in the advanced stages of the disease achieve a higher quality of life through housing, care, and supportive services. AIDSCare bridges sickness to health, homelessness to permanent housing, and poverty to self-sufficiency for individuals and families overcoming life challenging conditions. One of the few HIV/AIDS family-friendly housing facilities in Chicago, AIDSCare's North Lawndale Campus houses over 100 families, children and individuals living with the disease. Additionally, the agency's programs assist the homeless as well as low-income individuals living with AIDS achieve stable housing, improve wellness, and transition toward greater independence.
Throughout its history, AIDSCare has shown an impressively dogged determination to make a difference in the lives of those who were not only dealing with HIV/AIDS but also overcoming other issues such as poverty, addiction, and homelessness. After its first decade of existence, AIDSCare embarked on a dramatic expansion in 2003 with the construction of a $20-million, five-building campus in the North Lawndale neighborhood, on Chicago's west side. In the following two years, AIDSCare opened two residential facilities on the campus, allowing it for the first time to serve families living with HIV/AIDS. As a result, annual program capacity increased at the time from 35 individuals to up to 125 men, women, and children.
In January 2008, AIDSCare opened a 32-unit supportive housing residence for homeless single adults diagnosed with AIDS. It is also a substance-free facility that provides programs geared specifically toward assisting residents in overcoming substance-abuse issues. With both it's family-oriented facilities and this new singles residence, AIDSCare is not just content with providing physical housing; it strives to provide a real home and a supportive environment to the many folks it serves.
As it looks toward the future, AIDSCare will continue to evolve so as to address the changing face of Chicago's AIDS crisis and effectively respond to the needs of the most vulnerable members of the city's population. Seeking to expand its North Lawndale Campus, which is a first in the country national model, the agency is currently in the midst of a Capital Campaign for the construction of a Wellness Center on the North Lawndale Campus that will serve as a neighborhood anchor.
AIDSCare has had a vital and rich history in Chicago and will undoubtedly continue to play a pivotal role within the city's HIV/AIDS community, providing compassion and care, creating hope, and strengthening lives. To join the AIDSCare family to help them achieve their ambitious goals, or to just find out more information about the agency, check out their website at www.aidscarechicago.org.
About Bar AIDS
BOI Magazine and ChicagoPride.com are proud to be a headline sponsor of this year's Bar AIDS, a fundraiser started here in Chicago but that is now becoming a national event in partnership with organizations in Las Vegas, Provincetown, Reno, and San Francisco. On the night of Thursday, August 28, 2008, we enthusiastically encourage anyone who is at least 21 years old to patronize one of the participating Bar AIDS bars listed herein. In addition to donating a portion of their night's revenues to AIDSCare, the bars will simultaneously raise awareness to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. So pick a place and be sure to invite your friends, family members, and co-workers to join you in a night of fun and fundraising, and possibly even go home a winner (raffle tickets will be sold at each bar).
Participating Bars
Andersonville
Hamburger Mary's - Mary's Attic
5400 N Clark
Lakeview - Boystown
Bucks Saloon
3439 N Halsted
Circuit Night Club
3641 N Halsted
Cocktail
3359 N Halsted
Spin Nightclub
800 W Belmont Ave
Loop
Encore Liquid Lounge
171 W Randolph
M Lounge
1520 S Wabash Ave
South Water Kitchen
225 N Wabash Ave
River North
Zocalo Restaurant and Tequila Bar
358 W Ontario
Roger's Park
Red Line Tap
7006 N Glenwood Ave
Touche
6412 N Clark
Roscoe Village
The Village Tap
2055 W Roscoe
Uptown
Fat Cat
4840 N Broadway
Nick's on Wilson
1040 W Wilson Ave
Nick's Uptown
4015 N Sheridan
Scot's
1829 W Montrose Ave
Wicker Park
The Flat Iron
1565 N Milwaukee Ave
Nick's Beer Garden
1516 N Milwaukee Ave
Innjoy
2051 W Division
For the complete article (non-reader view with multimedia and original links),
Tap here.
Head to the local LGBTQ news, events, directory and people network at ChicagoPride.com