Maitri E.D. Tim Patriarca, VP Business Development Jimmy Markee, Andreas Bragoner, and Simon Tam. Photo by Richard Tamayo.

The 1st Annual VIP Holiday Kickoff Celebration was held at the St. Regis Hotel benefiting Maitri. Since 1987, Maitri has been providing hospice and 24-hour care to men and women living with AIDS. In this 15-bed facility, skilled professionals and dedicated volunteers offer nursing and personal care as well as emotional and spiritual resources to help meet the special needs associated with HIV-related illness. This non-profit program in San Francisco is focused especially on those who might otherwise be without adequate resources or care. Maitri is the last AIDS hospice in California.

Patrons enjoyed a champagne and chocolate reception in the sculpture garden and ballroom. They enjoyed modern hairstyling from Salon Baobao and skin care tips from Luxury4him.com all night long. With a suggested minimum donation of $30 at the door to go directly to Maitri, attendees enjoyed complimentary Absolute Vodka drinks for the entire evening. DJ’s Tamo (Angels of Bass) and Kramer (Methodrone, The Deep End) set the mood all night long until midnight. 

“Reason To Party is a great organization that has partnered with Maitri, which is wonderful, because they do a lot of the footwork for us,” Maitri Executive Director Tim Patriarca told Bay Times. He said they invite a great guest list and procure some of the donations and publicize the Maitri event.

“It’s a chance for us to really reach out to new donors and have a great evening in a delightful atmosphere.” He said this is a new concept and RTP is doing excellent things for worthy nonprofits, such as the Food Bank. 

He called this “the first pre-event for Bliss,” which comes way in May 2, but will be preceded by a series of events throughout the year beforehand to publicize Bliss, which usually entails gourmet food, drink, and entertainment. They are planning a big reception in City Hall in the spring. “Maitri was cut by the State this year completely, because the economy is not doing wonders and that has an impact on the bottom line for AIDS nonprofits,” he said. “Reason To Party is run by a wonderful guy, Ari Kalfayan the co-founder and executive director of RTP, whose heart is in the right place.” He said RTP seems to attract a younger crowd who might not be used to philanthropy, but it’s a real mix of ages – not all young. “Ari uses Facebook to publicize his events; that information gets passed around; and before you know it you have 5,000 people invited,” he said. 

“We noticed that during the recession, people were going out to bars, but the nonprofit community was suffering,” Kalfayan told Bay Times. “We wanted to put together nice venues in front of the San Francisco community, where it was Studio 54-esque.” Inspired by Andy Warhol, this gala brought people together from all walks of life who care about the community, art, fashion, music, and business. He said, “It was people from all different communities coming together – artists and others, with a strong LGBT following – while raising money for charities.” He said, “We ask people to give what they can, whether that’s $3,000, $300, or $30, or their time volunteering.” He added, “It also introduces them to the nonprofit community.” He said there will be many RTP events in the coming months, including a dinner at Supperclub. For further information, browse ReasonToParty.org.