Whitman-Walker, which describes itself as a leader in LGBTQ health, research, education, and policy with special expertise in HIV care, announced it will host its 50th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, Nov.
9, at the Salamander DC Hotel. “We’re thrilled that the 50th Anniversary Gala will be an opportunity to celebrate and honor the legacy of Whitman-Walker, our mission, and the many ways that with the help of donors, volunteers, partners, and patients we have been Rooted in Community,” said Abby Paige Fenton, executive director of the Whitman-Walker Foundation, in a statement. “Funds raised at the gala will support our mission, our care services and our research programs,” Fenton said in the statement.
The statement says the event will run from 6-10 p.m. and feature special guests Tim Gunn, author, critic, and TV personality; celebrity DJ Tryfe; “and a few other guest surprises.” Among other things, the event will include “cocktails, great food, surprises, storytelling, live auction and music,” according to the statement.
The Salamander DC is located at 1330 Maryland Ave., S.W. The statement adds that the event’s goal is to raise $550,000 to support Whitman-Walker’s care and research programming. “Within the nation’s capital area, Whitman-Walker provides stigma-free care to anyone who walks through their doors,” the statement continues. “Just last month, they opened the Max Robinson Center in Southeast Washington, D.C., a brand-new state-of-the-art building on the campus of Saint Elizabeths East in the Congress Heights neighborhood, transforming healthcare and community research in the District of Columbia.” Tickets for the Gala event begin at $500 for individual attendees.