'Up On The Roof Gala' Raises Nearly $17,000 for Gift for Life

August 15, 2018  by Jane Chero in Community / Charitable Support, Designer Weekly, Industry   

The 2018 fundraiser – a partnership of a manufacturer, sales agency and market center – Chavez for Charity, Fine Lines and International Market Centers – raised funds for three leading non-profit organizations: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA); The Center, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada; and the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

“Las Vegas Market is proud to support Gift for Life in its mission to raise money for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and education,” said Esther Ossei-Anto, senior marketing manager for International Market Centers and a newly appointed Gift for Life board member. “This summer’s ‘Up on the Roof’ theme, ‘ERASE HATE: A Celebration of Love,’ was a game changer and unified the gift and home furnishings industry more than ever. Las Vegas Market was delighted to extend this year’s fundraiser to benefit a local non-profit in The Center as well as DIFFA and the Matthew Shepard Foundation.”

Three hundred supporters attended the Las Vegas Market-hosted event, which honored the 20th anniversary of the death of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard. This year’s event raised funds not only through ticket sales and auction prize bids, but also through at-Market sales of commemorative “Erase Hate” bracelets and T-shirts from Chavez for Charity.

Chavez for Charity, a fashion accessories line has been supporting the Matthew Shepard Foundation since launching in January 2013. In connection with the 20th anniversary of Matthew’s murder, Fine Lines hosted “Erase Hate Day” the day before the fundraiser. Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard and founder of the organization, appeared for a meet-and-greet and signed copies of her book, “The Meaning of Matthew, My Son’s Murder in Laramie and A World Transformed.”

Shepard also appeared as a keynote speaker at the benefit, asking party-goers to “Erase Hate” by rallying around the message of love. “Hate crimes are on the rise and reporting is on the decline. ’Erase Hate’ is a very general but very important message for everybody,” Shepard said. “We [as an organization] have definitely tried to do what we think Matthew would be doing in his life.”

"The collective effort by Fine Lines, Gift for Life, ‘Up on the Roof’ and the Las Vegas Market to honor Matthew Shepard and the 20th anniversary of his death has made an impression on me that I cannot ignore,” said Julie Chavez, founder and CEO of Chavez for Charity. “It will serve as a lighthouse as we look to create more meaningful projects through our work at Chavez for Charity. The gift of Judy Shepard’s time and presence unquestionably made an impact on everyone who had the chance to meet her. Most important, I can say we infused Judy and the Matthew Shepard Foundation with the kind of energy and support they deserve. I could not be more proud of our ‘Erase Hate’ campaign and all that it has inspired."

Chavez for Charity was founded by Julie Chavez in 2013 and supports various charitable initiatives through the sale of its colorful fashion accessories. For more information, visit www.chavezforcharity.com.

“We appreciate the ongoing commitment from Las Vegas Market in supporting DIFFA’s mission to raise awareness and grant funds to organizations that provide treatment, preventative education and advocacy to those impacted by HIV/AIDS,” said Dawn Roberson, executive director for DIFFA. “As a result, we were able to give a portion of proceeds from ‘Up on the Roof’ to support The Center and the Las Vegas LBGTQ community.”

Auction prizes at the “Up on the Roof” event included multi-night hotel stays at the ARIA Resort & Casino, The Cosmopolitan, Golden Nugget, Plaza Hotel & Casino, Stratosphere, Tropicana, Trump International Hotel and Vdara Hotel & Spa; dinners at Robert Irvine’s Public House or Oakville Steakhouse (inside Tropicana), Scarpetta’s (inside Cosmopolitan), Oscar’s Steakhouse (inside Plaza Hotel & Casino) and McCall’s Heartland Grill (inside Stratosphere); as well as a Las Vegas-themed basket by Connections Housing.