The Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation’s 17th annual Taste of Life “Once Upon a Summer Night” will be held Saturday at the Courtyard Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel’s Luau Grounds from 6 to 10 p.m.
Savor food from top chefs and support the Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation in the fight against hepatitis and HIV, also known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The event will also feature a gala variety show, Pin Up Burlesque and Cabaret, music and dancing with the Rainbow Band, and a silent auction.
General admission tickets are $75 in advance and $85 at the door; VIP tickets are $120 and a premium table for 10 is $1,000.
Proceeds of the event benefit the nonprofit’s mission of “building a healthier, stronger community with an emphasis on HIV and related health issues.”
Online ticket sales will close at 4 p.m. Friday. Tickets can also be purchased at Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation offices in West Hawaii and East Hawaii. In Kona, visit the office at 74-5620 Palani Road, Suite 101. In East Hawaii, visit the office at 16-204 Melekahiwa Place, Suite 1, in Keaau.
According to the Hawaii Department of Health HIV Surveillance Program’s most recent data, 4,454 diagnosed HIV or AIDS cases were reported to the Hawaii Department of Health from 1983 through Dec. 31, 2013. The majority of those cases were reported on Oahu (72.6 percent). Hawaii County had 566 cases of HIV or AIDS diagnosed during the period. Of the 4,454 cases diagnosed, there have been 2,007 deaths.
For more information, call 982-8800 or visit http://hihaf.org/taste-of-life-2/. Tickets can be purchased by following the link on the HIHAF website or by visitng http://bigislandtasteoflife.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1141282.