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And back then, AIDS, as it came to be known, was prevalent in the design communities. So a dozen friends and colleagues came together in a New York textile design firm to talk about the affliction and what they could do about it.
That little group became DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS.
“There were design centers in most cities, and people started gathering after work and passing the hat,” says David Sheppard, executive director of DIFFA.
“It sounds very grassroots, but you helped pay someone’s utility bills or cab fare to the doctor. Everyone thought it would be over in 30 days. This is America. We thought they would find out what it was and fix it. But as more and more people became ill, we had to become more aggressive and creative about raising more money.”
Twenty-four years later, the fight continues. They never thought it would last this long, and now, David says, we have entered a new age of infection.
“We’re dealing with a growing epidemic among young people who have never seen a person die from the disease,” David says. “They think they can take a pill and it will be all right. And there’s the rise of crystal meth in suburban communities, where women can’t even fathom the idea of bisexual men who are living double lives. There is still a lack of education, so most of our money today goes to preventative education nationwide.”
Thanks to DIFFA’s commitment, they have granted more than $35 million to hundreds of AIDS service organizations nationwide. Now there are chapters in Chicago, Seattle, Dallas and Kansas City, too.
One of the major fund-raisers they throw annually is Dining by Design. Designers, artists and other creative minds come together to produce artistic table settings and put on dazzling dinners and auctions. The idea started in Kansas City more than 15 years ago and soon became a national tour for DIFFA.
In our city, the event has raised more than $1 million since it began.
Tickets already are sold out to tonight’s main event, but guests are welcome to view the innovative table designs today from 9 a.m. to noon. The morning viewing costs $10, and guests can also donate by visiting diffakc.org.
Committed to fighting HIV and AIDS through funding education and prevention, DIFFA KC is the largest contributor to the Heart of America AIDS Partnership. Ninety percent of all money raised in Kansas City stays here, organizers say, benefiting local organizations. The rest is donated to cities without a DIFFA chapter.
Richard Manes, chair of the local organization, says the event is bigger than pretty tables and fine dining. The backbone of the event is still to try to arrest HIV and AIDS everywhere, not just within design communities.
The board has expanded beyond designers and includes people from a variety of backgrounds to make a bigger impact, he says.
“People have become lax in the fight compared to what it was in the ’80s,” says Richard, 40, vice president of servicing operations for KeyBank.
“AIDS is not a hot topic in the media anymore, but we’re still fighting for this cause, because it’s still an issue that exists. And we will fight this cause until the disease is no more.”
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