There is a potential threat to the tradition of circuit parties and its future. It is a threat that cannot be prevented or controlled by the Hearts Foundation, the government, the beneficiaries, the performers, the venues nor even your mother. It can come from anywhere, at any time... The threat could be you.
That's right, the guests who we work so hard to attract can become
the very undoing of the whole Fireball weekend mission. We are
counting on each one of you to help us keep our fundraising tradition
burning brightly in Chicago-and in every city that holds similar
party events.
We use the cultural phenomenon that is a circuit party weekend
to celebrate our lives and those of the friends we have lost.
It is still a proven way to divert entertainment dollars, in
large quantities, into fundraising support that might not otherwise
exist.
Unfortunately, it is also a proven opportunity to become infected
with HIV or STDs, to take risks with the use of substances from
alcohol to recreational drugs, and generally to push your body's
endurance beyond its limits. We do not create these events to
help you do any of these things. For some, taking life right
to the edge is part of being a GLBT person. Someone falling over
that edge is the threat we face.
Maybe, it is time for our circuit party culture to pull back
from the brink, before we lose our ability to dance in support
of our beneficiaries and community. We are not going to try and
tell you exactly how to behave, and probably would not have much
of a chance anyway, right? We are going to hope you have the
best (and safest) time of your life and go home and tell your
friends. We are also going to ask you to think long and hard
about what you could be doing to harm yourself, others, or our
ability to raise funds using Fireball Weekends in the future.
From the bottom
of our Hearts
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