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HARC to celebrate local heroism, fighting HIV at Dining for Dollars

by Jessica Carreras

It is a celebrated fact that HIV-positive people are living longer, healthier lives. However, it creates an ongoing problem for organizations dedicated to helping those who are not able to care for themselves. As a result, places like Michigan's HIV/AIDS Resource Center rely more and more on fundraising, sponsorship and donations to continue offering services to people who have HIV. And their biggest revenue-generating event of the year is just around the corner.

On Wednesday, May 14, HARC will hold their 14th annual Dining for Dollars fundraising dinner at 7 p.m. at Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor. This year's dinner and auction is expected to bring in around 200 diners helping raise over $40,000.
The theme of this year's Dining for Dollars is "Local Heroes," and it will celebrate all things Michigan. Several local community leaders will be writing letters to be read at the event honoring HARC for their local heroism, and HARC will celebrate their own heroes in the area as well. "We will also have locally-inspired auction items," added Special Events Coordinator Carrie Rheingans.
The auction items are still being finalized, but several larger packages are already in place. Among the largest items is a Michigan State University jersey autographed by Magic Johnson, who is not only an alumnus of the school, but HIV positive as well.
Also, said Rheingans, HARC is excited to offer for auction a trip for two to the Boyne Mountain Spa and Resort, as well as a VIP wine tour in northern Michigan.
"Our auction has really improved," she said, citing the help of the company NuAuction as the reason for the progress.
HARC, which operates out of Ypsilanti, will be growing in the next few months, and will use the much-needed money earned at Dining for Dollars to fund their prevention and care services. HARC offers not only testing and medical assistance, but also housing services, a food pantry and help finding a job and a health provider. They service the counties of Washtenaw, Jackson, Lenawee and Livingston. Though the money from the event will go into their general fund, Rheingans said that some of that spills over into prevention work. "We have a lot more people come to test than we are funded to do," she said.
Recently, HARC received a grant to expand their work into Jackson. The money, however, is going quickly and more funds are needed to support and care for the large number of HIV-positive men and women seeking treatment at HARC's facilities. "Washtenaw County is a high prevalence area, as is Jackson County, and that's half of our service area," explained Rheingans.
In addition to their increase in visitors, a decrease in funding also furthers the need for independent donations and fundraising. "There's a lot of stigma and misunderstanding about HIV transmission," Rheingans said. "Funding has been decreasing for certain kinds of prevention work and people are living longer with HIV."
"We have more and more people that are infected, so it's even more important to do that prevention work," she added. "The more HARC's name gets out there, the more care there will be."
According to Rheingans, the need is more important than ever to get people tested and to educate them about how to stay HIV-free. Though the economy and lack of government funding has hurt HARC, their mission remains unchanged. "HIV does still exist around here," said Rheingans, "and we do need to protect ourselves.
And one way to help ensure that funding will be there to continue HARC's work is through events like Dining for Dollars.

INFO BOX
Dining for Dollars
6 p.m. May 14
Zingerman's Roadhouse, Ann Arbor
734-572-9355
http://www.r2harc.org

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Topics: News
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