Preparations under way for 22nd annual ‘Evening Under the Stars Gala’
Coachella, the White Party, the Louis Vitton Fashion Show – it seems like there’s never a dull moment here in the valley.
But as temperatures heat up and the social scene begins to wind down it wouldn’t be right to go out without a bang.
“You have everything from the production part of it, through the rentals, through the lighting, to the sound to the dcor, to the auction to make the money for the event,” said Julie Westom with Shari Kelly Events .
That’s not a small feat when you are organizing one of the most prominent fundraisers in the Coachella Valley.
Preparations for the event at the O’Donnell Golf Club in Palm Springs actually started last year.
“Evening under the stars. So we’ve got stars in the air, we’ve got the stars on the table. Everything is going to glow tonight,” Westom said.
More than a thousand people are expected to attend.
Organizers spent the day setting up the silent auction, and getting stages ready for a performance by Darlene Love. And they get to do all that in much cooler temperatures than normal.
“We had 68 degrees yesterday, what 85 degrees today, it’s the best we can ask for. The last three years it’s been over 105,” Westom said.
“Previous years we have had 100-degree days during set up, which starts Thursday. So it’s very taxing for the crew and everyone and the volunteers,” AIDS Assistance Program publicist Tim O’Bayley said.
While the evening is filled with dancing and drinks, O’Bayley reminds guests of the reason for the event.
The AIDS Assistance Program provides nutritional support to those who are low income and living with HIV AIDs.
“It is a vital lifeline for many people and we have a waiting list. So one of the goals tonight is to ensure that we can move people off of the waiting list and into services,” O’Bayley said.
O’Bayley expects the event will raise more than a quarter of a million dollars.
“Our philosophy at AIDS Assistance Programs, put bluntly, is that we want people to give us their money and have a really good time doing it,” O’Bayley said.
And from the sound of the preparations, this year won’t disappoint.
