Frank Ribaudo of Club Cafe to Receive Spirit of Stonewall Award
BOSTON, June 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Tues., June 10, the 15th annual Pridelights concert and tree lighting, presented by Citibank, will run from 7-9 p.m. outside of the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) on Tremont Street in Boston's South End.
The traditional pre-cursor to Boston Pride, this year's Pridelights will feature appearances by Bravo TV's "Top Chef" winners Jen Biesty and Zoi Antonitsas, as well as David "Scarbie" Mitchell from The Crown & Anchor Cabaret in Provincetown, Megan Love from Ryan Landry's hit play "Whizzin!" and The Legendary Hat Sisters. Verna Turbulence will be Mistress of Ceremonies and AIDS Action's Marketing Manager Keith Orr will co-MC. Together, they will present a host of entertainers and the 4th Annual Spirit of Stonewall Award.
The 2008 Spirit of Stonewall Award will be presented to Frank Ribaudo, owner of Club Cafe, Boston's longest-running LGBT venue for dining, cocktails, community-gathering and entertainment. For 25 years, Ribaudo and his staff have dedicated time and resources to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Among Ribaudo's many accomplishments was launching the annual all-volunteer Harbor to the Bay AIDS Ride that gives 100% of its proceeds back to AIDS service organizations.
This year's tree-lighting will introduce energy-efficient LEDs, reducing energy use by 75 percent while doubling the number of bulbs, honoring Boston Pride's 2008 eco-friendly theme, "Sustaining Our Community; Conserving Our World." The Hat Sisters will flip the switch on the 60-foot pine tree, with lighting provided by Sylvania.
Since 1993 The Pridelights tree lighting has been a Boston gay pride tradition. This celebratory outdoor event also serves as AIDS Action's official kick-off to some of the agency's most intensive prevention and education initiatives that occur during Boston Pride.
"We are delighted to present Pridelights as part of our commitment to erasing stigma for the LGBT community and in celebration of the third anniversary of our MALE Center in the South End," said Rebecca Haag, President/CEO, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Inc.
The MALE Center, a program of AIDS Action Committee, is a community resource and wellness center for gay and bisexual men in Boston, located at 571 Columbus Avenue in the South End, home of Boston's only Saturday and late-night (Thursday) rapid HIV testing in Massachusetts.
In addition to presenting sponsor Citibank, Pridelights is co-sponsored by Osram Sylvania, Revolution Fitness, Hingham Institution for Savings, Bay Windows, South End News and EdgeBoston.com. More information on Pridelights can be found at http://www.aac.org/pridelights.
AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Inc., (AAC), New England's first and largest AIDS organization, is dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS by preventing new infections and optimizing the health of those already infected. AAC provides free confidential services to men and women already living with HIV/AIDS, as well as conducts extensive educational and prevention outreach to those at risk of infection. AAC runs the only statewide AIDS Hotline (1.800.235.2331), Hepatitis Hotline (1.888.443.4372) and Pharmacy Access Hotline (1.800.988.5209). All hotlines offer support in Spanish and in English. Free and confidential HIV testing and counseling is available at AAC's downtown Boston location and at its MALE Center in Boston's South End neighborhood. AAC also advocates for effective science-based prevention programs. More information is available at http://www.aac.org.
SOURCE AIDS Action Committee
