Category Archives: Philanthropy

Camp Cuts 2011 – Sunday, July 17th

Posted on July 9, 2011 | 1 comment

When: Sunday, July 17th from 12PM – 6PM
Where: James Joseph Salon at 30 Newbury Street
Why: To benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Cost: $50.00
RSVP: campcuts@gmail.com

Join Izzy Berdan (seated above) and some of Boston’s best stylists who will be cutting hair for Camp Cuts 2011 to benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

For $50 you will receive an amazing cut, mini post-cut photo shoot, a goody bag from some of Boston’s best retailers, and much more thanks to the generosity of Boston’s many sponsors. Make a hair appointment today; more information (including available times) is online at Camp Cuts 2011.

About The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp: Originally founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, this non-profit is a residential summer camp and year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions. The camp serves more than 15,000 each year and all it’s services are provided free of charge.

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Posted in Back Bay, Philanthropy

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Fenway Health Men’s Event 2011

Posted on April 10, 2011 | 1 comment


Check out this video from the Fenway Health Men’s Event in Boston last night. The sold out black tie event is a critical fund raiser for the Fenway Health Clinic. More than 1,300 gay men and their friends showed up to help raise money to support the Fenway.

Did you know? Fenway Health’s Ansin 10-story clinic is the largest facility ever constructed by an organization with a specific mission to serve the LGBT community.

Fenway Health Mission
The mission of Fenway Health is to enhance the well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and all people in our neighborhoods and beyond through access to the highest quality health care, education, research and advocacy.

More about Fenway Health, www.FenwayHealth.org

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Posted in Philanthropy

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Fenway Men’s Event 2011

Posted on April 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

This Saturday, April 9th is Fenway Health Men’s Event. The black tie affair draws 1,300+ gay men and their friends each year to help raise funds for one of the nation’s largest GLBT clinics. In recent years, the Fenway has opened a state of the art 10-story clinic on Boylston Street in the Fenway neighborhood, allowing them to help more members of our community.

I’ll be snapping pictures from Saturday’s affair and will share those pictures on my blog following the event. However, if you would like to get involved and help make a difference Fenway Health is always looking for volunteers and donations (no matter how humble the amount).

You can learn more about the great work Fenway is doing here in Boston and through out the region as well as their cutting-edge research which helps the GLBT community at-large by visiting their site today, www.FenwayHealth.org.

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2011 Boston Bacon and Beer Festival

Posted on March 25, 2011 | 3 comments

Saturday, April 30th from 1 PM to 3:30 PM the Bowery Boston (located in the Theater District) will host Boston’s 2nd Bacon & Beer Festival.

The event costs $35.00 w/ proceeds going to benefit the local hunger relief organizations Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Community Servings, and Share our Strength. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 1st. More information about the event is available here.

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Taste of the South End 2011

Posted on March 9, 2011 | 4 comments

Last week I first wrote about the Taste of the South End which benefits the AIDS Action Committee, and the event did not disappoint. Although there were no beads or parades to commemorate Fat Tuesday, nearly all who attended left a bit fatter than when they first arrived. And how could you blame them? With 40+ restaurants, wineries, beers and cocktails all tempting the tastebuds it was a food lover’s delight.

Restaurants new to the neighborhood like The Gallows and Noche kept pace with veteran establishments like Mistral and Stella. There were some noticeable absences, which will lead me to ask “Why?” on my next visit to these restaurants. You can see the full list of participants on the Taste website. Support these restaurants and thank them for their participation.

If you were unable to attend the festivities, you can check out this 2-minute video, which shows you some of the tempting treats cooked up for attendees. Again, sincere thanks to all the cooks and volunteers who made this a fantastic event.

The Boston Foodie also has a nice write up with more pictures from the event which you can check out by linking here.

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Posted in Philanthropy, Video

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MFA Art of the Americas wing opens

Posted on November 13, 2010 | 1 comment

The largest museum in Boston is the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). This week the museum unveils its massive new Art of the Americas wing, celebrating the completion of a $504 million expansion that took place during one of the country’s worst economic downturns.

More than 25,000 people made donations to make this wing a reality. The success of the MFA and widespread support is all the more impressive when you consider other, much larger cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago that have fallen shy of their own fund raising expansion campaigns.

The new addition is a striking four-story glass and granite structure filled with thousands of precious American artifacts and artworks and includes 53 new galleries with 51,000 square feet of new space.

The Boston Globe has included a floor-by-floor interactive map showcasing the new expansion which you can check out here. Definitely put visiting the new wing on your short list of “must see” during this winter when going outside is no fun.

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Double date: Black tie event and cocktails at Club Cafe

Posted on October 2, 2010 | 1 comment

Tonight Sergio and I are off to the Four Seasons to attend a black tie fundraiser for the Visiting Nurses Association of Boston. Proceeds from this event go to support the VNA’s Maternal Child Health and Charitable Care Programs, which serves almost 2,400 children and their families in Massachusetts.

A good friend who works at the VNA Boston invited us to join him at his table so we’re dusting off our tuxedos to get them ready for tonight. I was pleasantly suprised to find that I still fit into my tuxedo pants (although I think I’ll refrain from eating for the rest of the day so I don’t push my luck).

The event concludes early so I plan to come home and change to meet Steve A. (author of Long Haired Boy blog) who is flying in from the Cayman Islands. Sadly we’ll only be able to connect tonight because he’s off to see a show on Sunday and flies back home the following day. Such is the life of this jet-setting tall drink of water who I met in person for the first time earlier this summer.

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Posted in Friends, Philanthropy

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Santa Speedo Run – Dec. 12th

Posted on December 3, 2009 | 2 comments
December 12th is the Santa Speedo Run. This is a fun event to watch (if not fun to partake) in Boston for 10 years.  The race sells out each year (they have a 500 runner limit) and each year the run raises money for local charities; this year the recipients will be Crossroads for Kids and Bottom Line. The race is in good fun in the heart of the BackBay extending slightly more than 1 mile.
The race gets a fair amount of coverage by local news stations as one might imagine. I’ve included a brief clip from NESN’s coverage of the 2008 run below and if you would like to see more, visit The Boston Globe 2008 Santa Speedo Run photographs by linking here.

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Posted in Christmas, Philanthropy

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Spring fundraisers in Boston

Posted on April 2, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Taste of the South End
Last month I wrote about the AIDS Action Committee fundraiser, Taste of the South End. This is one of my favorite fundraisers, and I try to attend it every year.

I was surprised when a friend sent me this video from YouTube. At the end your’s truly makes an appearance. True to form, I’m shoving food down my throat. However the memories of the shrimp ceviche tacos from 28 degrees are happy ones so I don’t mind.

The Men’s Event
This Saturday, I will be joined by friends and nearly 1,500 Gay men as we all descend upon the Marriott Copley to attend the Fenway Health Center’s annual black-tie extravaganza, otherwise known as The Men’s Event.

If you don’t have plans as yet – it is a great time and money goes to a very worthwhile organization. You can link to the Fenway homepage and still buy tickets if you like.

About The AIDS Action Committee of MA
Founded in 1983, AIDS Action Committee of MA is a community-based health organization whose mission is to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic by preventing new infections and optimizing the health of those already infected. AAC provides free, confidential services to 2,500 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. If you like, you can make a donation to the AAC here.

About The Fenway
The Fenway Institute operates the nation’s first community-based HIV research program, which has been conducting long-term epidemiological research since 1985. Fenway Health is affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. If you like, you can make a donation to the Fenway here.

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Taste of the South End – March 10th

Posted on March 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

The Taste of the South End will take place this Tuesday, March 10th at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) on Tremont Street in the South End. The program includes 40+ restaurants as well as 4-5 wine and beer distributors.

Each year The AIDS Action Committee of MA tweaks this event to make it both more entertaining as well as delicious and when you think about all the incredible restaurants in the neighborhood that participate there really is something for everyone.

You can purchase tickets to the event by visiting the AIDS Action Committee website or by linking here.

I hope to see you there.

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I’mpossible – $100M Grant to Find an AIDS Cure

Posted on February 4, 2009 | Leave a comment

There has been so much bad news of late, I wanted to share a story currently on Boston.com and The Boston Globe which is reporting that the founder and owner of Cambridge-based, Intersystems, has made a $100M donation to find a cure for AIDS.

The grant will be paid out over the next 10 years in $10M increments and will be shared with other research facilities, including Harvard and M.I.T., but the majority of the donation will be given to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). To read the full story online link here.

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Santa Speedo Run 2008 – December 13th

Posted on December 11, 2008 | 1 comment

This Saturday, December 13th the 9th annual Santa Speedo Run will take place to benefit Cradles to Crayons, a local charity that provides basic necessities to children. Each year this 1+ mile race raises money for a worthwhile charity as well as a few eyebrows as several hundred men and women run in little more than their speedos down the frigid streets of Boston. This year the forecast indicates the weather will be sunny but with temperatures expected in the 20s it will definitely be a tough run for many people.

This run has taken off quite literally and is now done in several other cities. Check to see if your city hosts their own Santa Speedo Run and slip on your suit.

I’ve included a video from YouTube of last year’s Santa Speedo Run in Boston.

*Thanks to Made in Brasil for the picture…

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Posted in Christmas, Philanthropy

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ARTcetera 2008

Posted on October 29, 2008 | Leave a comment

AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts (AAC) is a leading AIDS Service Organization (ASO) in the country. Founded by the amazing Larry Kessler in 1983 as one of the nation’s first ASO’s, AAC provides so many services to such a diverse community it is hard for to me imagine what life would be like without this amazing agency. You can read more about AAC and their important work here.

On Saturday, November 1st this great organization will host their biannual event, ARTcetera. In addition to quite possibly being both the most unique and most fun fundraiser this city offers, ARTcetera is significant because it raises approximately $500,000 in discretionary funding for the agency. This money is used by the agency to support programs too cutting edge or risky for Federal or State Government funding.

Started back in 1985 as a response from the Boston Arts Community to the AIDS epidemic this fundraiser has grown in numbers and has become the largest modern art auction in New England. If you have the inclination and would like to have a guaranteed great night out this Saturday, November 1st, consider attending this year’s ARTcetera. Tickets remain available and can be purchased online. Link here to buy your tickets today.

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