Dear Steve & Rob,

Congratulations on your second year issue. We have been glad to have you on board to assist us with our marketing concepts and the support you have given us. - especially with our last fundraiser that you assisted us with Beswick House for Halloween.

To date, and still counting we have managed to raise over $700.00, and as you know our first prize winner donated his $150.00 gift voucher to Beswick House. So with this voucher and cash we are estimating to maybe hit the $1000.00 mark after everything is finally totaled.

As you know we donate all proceeds directly to Beswick House with no deductions and we appreciate the community support for the generous gift vouchers and assistance - especially La Fleur Florist, Cintas Linen, Adult Source and Victoria’s Restaurant.

However without GayCalgary’s input and marketing assistance, we believe we wouldn’t have had the success with this and previous fund raisers.

We appreciate your community spirit and dedication, and also look forward to further involvement with your publication for many years to come!

Keep growing stronger and better as you have been.

Thanks and best wishes.

Allan Oen & Tim McDonald
Managers
Texas Lounge and Goliaths Saunatel.

Publishers note: The following letter is a follow-up to the letter that was written in the GayCalgary.com Magazine October 2005 issue.

Dear AIDS Calgary,

Personally I wasn’t very satisfied with your response to my Letter to the Publisher from last month. It sounded to me that you were simply passing off vague boiler-plate statements, only speaking to what you are supposed to be doing versus my questions that asked what you are actually doing. In the end, however, I was certain that you agreed with every point I had raised about the importance of AIDS awareness, while simultaneously failing to explain or defend AIDS Calgary’s apparent shortcoming in this department.

The other day I was watching TV and I saw a commercial for AIDS Calgary come up on CityTV (Channel 8). I nearly fell off the couch I was so astounded! I thought that maybe my letter had finally prodded you into branching out to new forms of advertising for AIDS awareness. I quickly realized this was a commercial created and most likely donated by CityTV, featuring news anchor Susanne Fox. Here is a transcription of what was said:

“Since 1980, HIV/AIDS has touched many lives. In Calgary, there are an estimated 1300 individuals living with this disease. This year on September 25th, over 1200 Calgarians came out to fight against this disease, raising over $75,000 to find a cure.” Then they cut to Susanne Fox saying, “Thank you Calgary for supporting the 2005 Walk for Life, all in support of AIDS Calgary.”

I was literally speechless. I scrambled to find a copy of your response to my letter from last month, and here is what I read: “Our mission is not to eradicate HIV and AIDS, a fight that is much greater than AIDS Calgary’s reach, but to reduce the harm associated with HIV and AIDS.”

“Raising over $75,000 to find a cure…all in support of AIDS Calgary,” and “Our mission is not to eradicate HIV and AIDS.” I was trembling and nearly in tears with anger. The commercial made me want to believe that the entire sum of money raised from the AIDS Walk (“Walk for Life”) was going toward AIDS research – toward a cure – when I knew from the horse’s mouth that this was absolutely not the case. It’s no wonder so many people have the wrong idea – and why are you not correcting them?! Cynically I would suspect this is because you are benefiting from this confusion. So maybe CityTV made a mistake, maybe you just told them that you raised $75,000 and they’re the ones who assumed it was for research toward a cure. Regardless of whether it was a mistake, the inaccuracy has still been perpetuated to potentially thousands of viewers. CityTV is a trusted source of news and information, and if the respectable-looking Susanne Fox backed it, then it must be true. Won’t it be embarrassing for Mrs. Fox and CityTV if and when they find out what a tool they’ve been?

Here is the reality of the matter: AIDS Calgary is a community group that deals with an incurable disease - that simple fact instantly inspires a great deal of trust from people. I know there are some who are so trusting that they would crucify me for these two letters I’ve written. I cannot blame them; to many it is an insult. They’re supposed to feel good for all that they’ve done; so to point out that they didn’t even know what their money was going toward would make them feel foolish. I would offer an apology, but I’m only citing the facts.

Speaking of facts, I know nothing about how other non-profit groups function, but I decided to rummage around in the annual reports you have freely available on your website. One thing I noticed is that you haven’t posted any figures about your expenditures since 1999/2000, though for 2003/2004 you proudly boasted your $1,085,018 operating budget. Fundraisers such as the AIDS Walk and Calgary Cares only made up 15% of your income that year, while the other 85% came from government grants. I did a somewhat naïve calculation on your posted expenditures in 2000 and found that roughly 88% of your then $851,918 operating budget went to expenses for running the organization. Comprising that 88% was the 60% ($511,507) going to salaries, contracts, and employee benefits. I think it’s mathematically valid if not painfully blunt to say that money donated to AIDS Calgary goes more toward the employees of AIDS Calgary than to “advocacy, education and prevention.” I realize this is not a very flattering statement but, for all I know it’s completely normal for not-for-profit groups such as yourself.

But still everyone wants to relieve their conscience by doing their good deed for the day, so they blindly give and give and give to you so that you can accomplish your “advocacy, education and prevention.” I can only assume that you are pouring all of your allotted money into the “services” you alluded to in your response, while abandoning the duty of public awareness. I did educate myself on exactly what services you offer, and I agree that they are worthy causes. However, I can’t help but feel that you are putting all your eggs into one basket, as the imagery from your Nutrition Program ad suggests. I’m sure you point to that advertisement and say “See, this proves that AIDS Calgary is providing a much needed service to those affected by HIV/AIDS.” Well, yes, but hasn’t the Cut-a-thon raised money for the last several years to stop you from shutting down the Positive Living Lunch program altogether? Isn’t it run by volunteers? Doesn’t some of your staff get a free lunch in the process?

Last month you said, “The surest way to stopping the spread is to empower people to make informed choices.” Who have you empowered? I have yet to meet them. I’m an average Joe with a full life – I don’t have time to go into the AIDS Calgary office and ask to be educated (if it even works that way), nor am I on the receiving end of any targeted outreach programs. You say “Every person, without exception, is affected by HIV and AIDS,” yet somehow this excludes people like me – are we not special enough? Do your statistics indicate that the average Calgarian, gay or straight, is not at a high enough risk to warrant expenditure on a public awareness campaign? If in your own words, “HIV/AIDS is on the rise in Calgary,” then using only targeted programs analogous to breaking down a wall with a drill rather than a sledgehammer. Something is obviously not working with this golden plan.

Your organization’s official title is “AIDS Calgary Awareness Association” – the last two works are usually dropped for brevity, but they are key to your purpose in our community. For the amount of HIV positive people I’ve spoken to, for the amount of places that give out free condoms, for the amount of times I’m reminded that HIV/AIDS is a problem in Calgary, why does it feel that I’m not even aware AIDS Calgary exists? I truly hope my letters will offer you an outsider perspective to fuel positive change.

(The writer of this letter requested that their identity remain confidential.)

Again GayCalgary.com asked Executive Director of AIDS Calgary, Sue Cress, to respond to this letter on AIDS Calgary’s behalf.

Dear GayCalgary,

First I would like to thank you for giving your readers the opportunity to bring their questions and suggestions forward. We are happy to speak with anyone who has questions about our programs and services and invite people to attend our open house which is being held on November 24. Please e-mail info@aidscalgary.org for more information or call 508-2500.

Regards,

Susan Cress
Executive Director
AIDS Calgary Awareness Association
scress@aidscalgary.org
(p) 508 2500
(f) 263 7358
aidscalgary.org

Regards,

Terry Mackenzie
Chair of the Board
AIDS Calgary Awareness Association

Susan Cress
Executive Director
AIDS Calgary Awareness Association