History

Fundraising to support programs at AIDS Project Los Angeles has been central to the organization’s growth from the very beginning.

APLA’s four founders -- Max Drew, Nancy Cole Sawaya, Matt Redman and Erv Munro -- knew that their fledgling organization would require the financial support of their community of friends and family. In December of 1982, they held the first APLA fundraiser, which raised over $7,000. Since its first fundraiser, APLA has raised millions of dollars for people living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS, through the generosity of corporations, foundations, and individuals like you.

Many early fundraising events were held in gay bars and discos, as the gay and lesbian community courageously mobilized to fight the disease. A fundraiser at Studio One in March 1984 featuring Joan Rivers raised $45,000 for APLA and other new AIDS service organizations.

Then, on July 28, 1985, APLA held the world's first AIDS Walk. Its organizers hoped to raise $100,000, that day, but a tide of 4,500 walkers rolled forward from the starting point at Paramount Studios, bringing in $673,000. The Walk, which is now the largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser in Southern California, will take place October 19, 2008.

Just days before the first AIDS Walk, movie star Rock Hudson disclosed to the world that he had AIDS. In response, Elizabeth Taylor helped to spearhead a drive by the entertainment community to confront the disease. By lending her support to APLA, Taylor helped ensure the success of the first Commitment to Life event. The event, held at the Bonaventure Hotel and honoring former First Lady Betty Ford, raised $1.3 million. The Commitment to Life benefits, much like the AIDS Walks, became major annual events.

Creative and determined volunteers have been responsible for setting up dozens of fundraising events, from the small to the enormous, from the elegant to the unusual -- including premiere screenings, theater benefits, art openings, photography exhibits, fashion events and special concerts.

Current APLA annual special events include:

The National AIDS Marathon Training Program: In the past 10 years, more than 20,000 people have successfully completed the National AIDS Marathon Training Program and raised $80 million for the fight to end AIDS around the country.

Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.): Billed as the world’s longest running AIDS benefit, STAGE is an all-star gala, organized in 1984, that has raised more than five million dollars for AIDS service organizations across Southern California, including APLA.

The Envelope Please: One of the fashionable parties held annually on Oscar Row, this event at The Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood features cocktails, dinner and Oscar viewing on plasma screen TVs.

A Thanksgiving Moment: A Thanksgiving Moment is APLA’s annual Ambassador Council event which each year honors an extraordinary agency supporter. The event features cocktails and complimentary light fare in an intimate lounge setting.

APLA has also been the beneficiary of grants from city, county and state agencies; gifts of money and in-kind services from businesses and corporations; grants from foundations; and generous contributions from a multitude of individual donors.

Today, two-thirds of APLA’s annual operating expenses come from the generous gifts of our donor community. With ambitious plans for the expansion of vital HIV services to underserved areas in our 25th year, APLA needs your support now more than ever.