Ribbon of Life aims to sew up funding to fight HIV/AIDS

Las Vegas entertainers are set to clown around for a serious cause.

Golden Rainbow plans its 28th annual Ribbon of Life event for 1 p.m. June 22 at the Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road.

The event is set to include a silent auction and circus-inspired acts performed by entertainers from more than a dozen shows on the Strip and downtown Las Vegas, according to executive director Gary Costa.

“The event was designed to gather a collection of current entertainers to perform numbers for a musical show,” Costa said. “Everything is original and new, so although attendees may recognize certain entertainers, they can still enjoy performances they’ve never seen before.”

All proceeds are set to benefit Golden Rainbow, a nonprofit that provides housing and emergency support for individuals in Southern Nevada diagnosed with HIV or AIDS.

“Golden Rainbow was founded in 1987 during the epidemic after one of the members found himself homeless living in the garage of a friend when he died of AIDS,” Costa said. “His friends, who were entertainers, vowed to never let that happen to anyone else and started a variety show to collect funds for people in similar situations.”

Costa said the nonprofit receives financial support from the local and federal governments to help provide housing. However, the Ribbon of Life event serves as the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser.

Last year, the event drew about 1,400 attendees and raised about $250,000, according to Costa.

“Each year, we support about 800 people with AIDS through the organization,” Costa said. “We help them with housing or direct financial support for bills, medical co-pays and things of that nature.”

About 50,000 people become infected with HIV in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

HIV causes AIDS, a condition that weakens the immune system by destroying cells that fight disease and infection. The virus is spread most often through sexual contact, breast milk, infected blood or blood products and contaminated needles or syringes.

Andrew Wright, founder of RagTag Entertainment, partnered with Golden Rainbow about four years ago to help raise 15031 by hosting charity performances. He is set to direct and perform in a portion of this year’s event.

“The cause may not be in the forefront as much as it used to be in the ’80s and ’90s, but there’s still so much work to be done,” Wright said. “The fight is not over. You don’t just stop a race halfway through. Until there’s a cure, every bit of help, support, awareness, 15031 makes a tremendous impact.”

In May, Costa relocated to Las Vegas to join the nonprofit. He has experience working with the HIV/AIDS and queer communities in Southern California.

“I’ve found that many people who live with HIV and AIDS in our community are just one paycheck away from being homeless,” Costa said. “The Golden Rainbow provides a safety net to help provide these people in their greatest time of need.”

Under Costa’s direction, the nonprofit is scheduled to reintroduce education and prevention messages into the community.

“It’s been 30 years since the epidemic, and the rates of new HIV cases are still increasing,” Costa said. “We’re committed to recrafting a message that reaches out to all individuals to get tested and take the proper health precautions.”

Tickets for Ribbon of Life range between $57 and $225.

For more information, visit goldenrainbow.org or call 702-384-2899.

Contact Southwest View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.