It’s party time in the hills
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Get out those dancing shoes and head on down to the November Women’s Dance on Nov. 16, 7:30-11:30 p.m., at Eleven on Grove (above Scandals), 11 Grove St.
Hosted by the Dance Divas, this event is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food contributions for Loving Food Resources. Loving Food for the basic needs of those living with HIV/AIDS or in home hospice care with food, health and personal care items.
Diva DJ Linda will spin. She is joined by Betty who will provide snacks and filtered water. A cash bar will be available.
Attendees with a hand stamp from the bartender will be able bop up to Scandals with free admission after 10 p.m.
info: 828-253-6746. etledder@charter.net.
Survey seeks contributors
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A steering committee of activists are conducting a survey about the needs and viability of establishing an LGBT community center in the High Country.
Participants are asked to rate the physical needs of the center (i.e., kitchen facilities, meeting rooms, performance space, etc.). They are also encouraged to consider becoming a volunteer, querying participants about what they would do to support the facility.
Visit docs.google.com/forms/d/18liVHItGNDtmXRkTya1RN7EfSCr6KDv5v-oYC8YDsd0/viewform to fill out the online survey which will be available until the end of November.
“The figures and answers will be compiled to see how and where we can pursue funding assistance,” Gay Asheville NC’s Jerry Conner said.
Read qnotescarolinas.com/24930/ to learn more about the initiative.
In other news, the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be showcased from Nov. 25-Dec. 2 at the Renaissance Hotel, 31 Woodfin St.
The exhibit hours of operation are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. It will be closed on Thanksgiving.
Western North Carolina AIDS Project will be on hand to provide age-appropriate HIV/AIDS education, in addition to advocacy activities for visitors.
Since its beginnings in June of 1987 in San Francisco, Calif., the quilt now has grown to incorporate 48,000 plus memorial panels. Each one was sewn by friends, family members of partners of someone who died from AIDS. More than 14 million people have had the opportunity to view the quilt worldwide.
Admission is free.
info: aidsquilt.org. wncap.org.
Auction deemed a success
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Raise Your Hand Auction for the Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) was held on Oct. 12 at the Biltmore Doubletree Hotel. A sold-out crowd of 260 people helped to make this year’s gala and auction a success.
Funds raised helps to support the work of WNCAP — HIV/AIDS prevention, case management and advocacy — across an 18-county region.
“We are grateful to be part of such a generous community. Our agency took in 135 new clients in the last year while facing federal funding cuts,” said Jeff Bachar, WNCAP executive director. “Events like this are a crucial part of our ability to meet the needs of the community and grow our prevention interventions.”
Honorary chair was Laurey Masterton and auctioneer was Andrew Brunk.
In other news, Lenior-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville, 36 Montford Ave., will hold a free screening of “Philadelphia” on Nov. 22, 7 p.m., in 2nd floor conference room, plus a narrative medicine workshop on Nov. 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in room 315.
Dr. Claire Hicks, M.D., Laura Hope-Gill, Michael Harney and Michelle Hudgins will serve as facilitators.
Hicks is an HIV specialist and physician with Four Seasons Compassion for Life. Hope-Gill is a professor and director of the graduate writing program at Lenior-Rhyne and N.C. Arts fellow. Harney is a prevention educator at WNCAP. Hudgins works with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
info: wncap.org.
Have news or other information? Send your press releases and updates for inclusion in our News Notes: editor@qnotescarolinas.com.
Share your news with us
Does your organization or special interest group have events or great information to share with our readers? If so, be sure to send in your information to specialassignments@qnotescarolinas.com. In the upcoming months, we’ll feature one of you in our news notes section in each issue. Are you a part of a Meetup, Yahoo or Google group and do you do something that’s really newsworthy? Do you provide a service for the community or hold fundraisers for worthy causes? Do you educate the public about LGBT issues or concerns? Of course, this is only a sampling of things we are interested in. It’s the aim of these pieces to inform, enlighten and educate our readers about what we’re doing here in the Carolinas to champion LGBT rights, as well as offer resources for those who may be interested in what your group is doing.