We’ve all been to, paid for, dozed off in, had bad meals at and endured countless fundraisers. It’s an obligation of today’s society. Not very often, however, do we come across one that was as much fun as Southwest CARE Center’s 6th Annual Closet Ball.
What I read in a local paper said, “Watch ordinary men transform into gorgeous drag queens at this fundraiser for the Southwest CARE Center, which helps provide treatment for New Mexicans with HIV/AIDS.” This seemed like it might be a great photo opportunity so, even though I had never heard of the Southwest CARE Center, I paid my ten dollars and went. What I found was a wonderful event for an excellent cause, most of which was put together by a unique volunteer named Dr. Michael Kaplan, a speech-language pathology therapist here in Santa Fe as well as the President of the New Mexico Speech-Language Hearing Association. Largely on his own, Kaplan started this fundraiser six years ago with all of the funds he raises to go to the Center’s Aid and Comfort Fund. Although the HIV/AIDS crisis is much reduced from a few years ago, there are many needs. Patients can apply to this fund, for example, to help them with transportation costs to their treatments or other costs that aren’t covered by insurance.
What Kaplan does is recruit men who will volunteer to “transform” themselves for the purpose of this fundraiser. They aren’t experienced drag queens so he has to train them intensively. This means rehearsals the two Sundays before the event, practicing walking in heels, learning the words for the songs so that it’ll appear you’re really singing, learning how to walk down the little stairway from the stage to where the audience will be seated and, of course, finding the right clothing to make a dramatic appearance.
The audience is then encouraged to give money to whoever they think is the best. The winner is the person who raises the most. All those funds then become part of the total earnings for the evening.
Michael arranges for everything to be donated – the electrical equipment, the ball room (the Courtyard Marriott donated this in return for the proceeds from the two bars.), the video-taping because each contestant gets a copy. This year there were 265 attendees and $5,600 was raised.
The word “transformation” doesn’t mean much until you see it actually happen. The program begins with each of the four male contestants coming on stage and saying a few words about themselves. Then they go back to the dressing room to prepare themselves and there is about an hour of other entertainment – a very good Elton John look-alike, for example.
When each “transformed” contestant appears, there is a screen to the side with a photo of them as “normal.” The contrast is just staggering and that’s what makes this so unique. The audience, by now oiled with a few drinks, showers each contestant with money, sometimes stuffing it down into their clothing or often just flinging it into the air. Some of the contestants – like # 3 who was the winner – also raise money from their friends before the event. The result is not only the much needed funds but an evening of great fun in support of an important cause.
The Southwest Care Center was founded in 1996 by Dr. Trevor Hawkins, an internationally recognized leader in respiratory diseases. The original focus was on HIV/AIDS in part because Santa Fe has always been a very inclusive community but it has now evolved into a much more broad based system including family medicine, primary care, clinical research, family health, women’s health, obstetrics, travel medicine and a birth center. In total, there are more than 8,000 patients. When Jeff Thomas, the current Chief Executive Officer came on board 6 years ago, there were about 25 staff members and a budget of $4 million. Now there are 100 staff and a $20 million budget, making this Center a key component of the health care system in Santa Fe.
Although the treatment of HIV/AIDS is much improved – deaths have been reduced by 80% since 1996 – Hepatitis C is now a huge, public health crisis, particularly here in northern New Mexico where there are many drug users. There are new courses of treatment – thanks in part to Dr. Hawkins – but they are extremely expensive. (Less expensive than a liver transplant, however.) We’re fortunate to have here in New Mexico a Center that is focused on this.
Dr. Michael Kaplan says that it is now time for someone to take over Annual Closet Ball and make the arrangements for 2015. That’s a big challenge but whatever happens in 2015, I want to thank him for what he has accomplished in the last 6 years. Making it fun to contribute money is a great art and I definitely plan to attend next year.
Responses to “Transformation”