Palm Springs
For most of us, Thanksgiving is about eating far more than we should. For far too many others, there’s never enough food—not only on Thanksgiving, but every day. There are some wonderful organizations in Greater Palm Springs looking to change that.
The Desert Tennis Association has announced it will continue it long-time support of Food Samaritans of the Desert (AAP) by donating the proceeds from the upcoming 25th Annual Palm Springs Open to AAP to support its food voucher program for low-income Coachella Valley residents living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. This is the 13th consecutive year that Desert Tennis Association (DTA) has supported AAP.
The Palm Springs Open is an international tennis tournament run by the DTA that attracts more than 300 LGBT players from around the world. DTA is a non-profit corporation that organizes tennis events for the LGBT community in the Coachella Valley and raises funds for local charities. The tournament is free to the public, and the proceeds from the silent auction and dinner will benefit AAP. The tournament schedule will be available at deserttennis.us.
The Palm Springs Open will take place on Thanksgiving Weekend from Friday, November 23 to Sunday, November 25, 2018 at the Mission Hills Country Club, the Monterey Country Club and Desert Princess. Admission is free to all who would like to watch players from all around the world compete in one of the largest LGBTQ tournaments. All semi-finals and finals will be on Sunday November 25th starting at 8 AM at Mission Hills.
A Player’s Banquet will be held at Mission Hills at 7 PM on Saturday, November 24. Tickets are $45 per person and include a no-host cocktail reception, dinner, entertainment, and silent auction/raffle. Those who donate to the tournament on behalf of AAP will be recognized publicly at the event and in an advertisement featured in the tournament player book.
The first night of the Palm Springs Open will feature a performance by Bianca Del Rio, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 winner and iconic comedy queen. Bianca is ending her third solo world tour, “Blame it On Bianca,” with a final stop in Palm Springs. A portion of the proceeds from this comedy show will also benefit AAP – Food Samaritans. The event takes place on Friday, November 23, 2018 at 9 PM at the Riviera Palm Springs Grand Ballroom. “Blame it On Bianca” is being brought to AAP through the Desert Tennis Association.
General admission tickets for “Blame it On Bianca” start at $45, with Premium tickets at $85. VIP packages are also available. Tickets may be purchased at https://blameitonbianca.brownpapertickets.com/.
“The Desert Tennis Association is honored to once again support AAP – Food Samaritans,” said Tournament Director Nabil Najjar. “AAP has an excellent track record of providing critical nutritional support services to low-income Coachella Valley residents who are living with a chronic illness. AAP is a great match for our organization and we encourage everyone to donate what they can to this event, whether it is a gift certificate, raffle item or silent auction item. We are honored that Five Senses Reeling Events, the producers of the Bianca Del Rio performance, have generously agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds to AAP.”
“AAP has been the beneficiary of this Desert Tennis Association event since 2005, and we are extremely grateful for their ongoing support,” said Mark Anton, Executive Director of AAP – Food Samaritans. “This type of continued sponsorship directly funds our food voucher program, which helps the Valley’s most needful residents who struggle to maintain their strength and well-being.”
About AAP – Food Samaritans:
Now in its 27th year of service to the community, AAP – Food Samaritans of Palm Springs remains dedicated to providing nutritional support to improve the quality of the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. Initiated by a small group of concerned citizens led by the late Gloria Greene and Jeannette Rockefeller, AAP provides nutritional support to members of the community with low incomes. For more information, please call 760-325-8481 or visit aidsassistance.org.
