Black & White Party

Posted on August 23, 2009 by beckyajohnson

Where can you get a ‘Bad Girl’ tattoo on your breast, drink shots of rum from a penis ice sculpture, get spanked by a rubber chicken, hang out with drag queens dressed as nuns, and be sereneded by Cher and Tina Turner impersonators – all in one place and all for a good cause? At Aid for AIDS of Nevada’s annual Black & White Party.

Despite a last-minute decision to move the party from poolside to inside the Joint concert venue at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – due to the rare occasion of rain in the Vegas valley – this year’s party, like the 2 I attended in previous years, was a tremendous amount of fun. Who could resist unlimited tastings of spicy tuna rolls, gourmet cupcakes, fancy pants hors d’oeuvres, Ketel One vodka, Montecristo rum, and wine?

This annual event raises funds for Aid for AIDS of Nevada, the state’s largest AIDS service organization. Among other things, funds raised from this event help support education & prevention, counseling & support for people living with HIV and AIDS, and an annual summer camp for children living with or affected by HIV. Currently about 3,600 people are living with HIV in the Las Vegas valley.

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Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon

Posted on August 9, 2009 by beckyajohnson

Conceptually, this is perhaps the coolest fun run I’ve ever participated in.

400+ runners were bussed from Las Vegas last night to the remote town of Rachel, Nevada, just outside of Area 51. Dumped off in the middle of the desert, runners had 4 different races to choose from – a full marathon, a half marathon, a 10K or a 51K. Not being in the best of shape, my fiancee and I chose to participate in the 10K.

Races took place along the famed Extraterrestrial Highway, and all ended up at the same location – the Little Ale’Inn restaurant/bar/alien gift shop in Rachel. The only light for us to run by was natural light from the almost-full moon, and the headlamps/flashlights, glow necklaces, and reflective tape that every runner was required to wear.

Upon finishing, we were all greeted with a hot breakfast at the Little Ale’Inn, and for some who couldn’t resist, beer and eggs at 3 in the morning.

The race is an annual event organized by Calico Racing out of Vegas, and definitely one I would recommend.

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Bread for the World Gathering

Posted on June 17, 2009 by beckyajohnson

I’m at Reagan Airport, on my way home from this year’s Bread for the World National Gathering in Washington DC. I spent yesterday on Capitol Hill, lobbying to reform foreign assistance. Currently the United States’ foreign assistance is governed by an outdated act written in 1961, and is coordinated by 60 different government offices.

At the Capitol, I met with staff of all 3 of my members of Congress – Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV). To my surprise, the offices of all 3 Congresspeople seemed to be initially receptive to the idea of foreign aid reform.

The momentum seems to be building inside Capitol for this to happen within the 110th Congress, but this depends on how quickly other acts of Congress take within the next few months – i.e. health care reform and the confirmation of Sotomayor as Supreme Court Justice. Rep. Berman (D-CA) and Rep. Kirk (R-IL) have already introducted the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act into the House of Representatives (H.R. 2139), and a companion bill is expected to be introduced in the Sentate by Sen. John Kerry.

To take action of this issue visit www.offeringofletters.org or www.bread.org.

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