Award Recipients Announced for the 18th-Annual Black-Tie GayBINGO

"Favorite Straight Person of the Year" is one of the many special awards the AIDS Fund will be giving out on March 25th.

18th Annual Black-Tie GayBINGO event is March 25th | Photo credit Jeff Fusco

18th-Annual Black-Tie GayBINGO event is March 25th. | Photo credit Jeff Fusco

The AIDS Fund recently named the honorees who will be recognized at the 18th-Annual Black-Tie GayBINGO, a fund-raiser centered on HIV/AIDS emergency services and public awareness efforts. “The huge impact that a small number of people can make is really extraordinary,” AIDS Fund executive director Robb Reichard told G Philly. “The honorees that have been selected this year have a great deal of passion for the cause, and not only does that raise awareness, but it’s also really important to our mission.”

“I see the award being given to individuals who are doing a lot more than I am, but if I have allowed this terrific organization to grow in some capacity from the assistance I have been able to generate, than I am grateful to accept it,” said Jeffery Holder, this year’s “Favorite Straight Person of the Year” honoree. Holder, a AIDS Fund volunteer, is being recognized for his photography and service during 30th AIDS Walk Philly and previous Black-Tie GayBINGO events.

Michael “Cherry Pop” Tambon and Brandon Robert Barlieb will be honored with the Founders’ Award. The activist duo is being recognized for their long-standing advocacy within the community “in unique way” for inventive events such as creating the five-year-old drag show Code Red: Breaking the Silence that focuses attention on HIV issues in an uplifting and festive manner. “We are committed to doing this as volunteers so that all the money raised goes to AIDS Fund for their mission-focused work,” said Barlieb. Tambon, an out HIV-positive advocate, added, “We promise to continue to make a difference in the community regarding HIV prevention and treatment, and we won’t stop until we reach ZERO!”

The Ferrara Family Volunteer Award will be presented to A. Tyler Lynch, an HIV-positive volunteer who built an e-commerce site for GayBINGO ticketing. “As an HIV-positive man, I believe that the local organizations working on behalf of those infected and affected by this disease deserve every hour anyone can donate to support their efforts. Creating the ticketing system was in my professional realm, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to help an organization who helps so many others,” said Lynch.

Black-Tie GayBINGO, will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 25th, in the Regency Ballroom at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.