This year on Saturday, May 26th is the 3rd annual Artists for Life fundraiser taking place at the Catalyst Theatre in Edmonton.

This event is put on by the James Tolin Memorial Fund West (or JTMF West for short) which is a local arts organization created with the mandate of raising funds for HIV/AIDS and LGBT youth support services. This is Artists for Life 2012: Edmontons 3rd event in a partnership with HIV Edmonton and their first year in partnership with Camp fYrefly.

This year’s event will celebrate women in the arts, featuring the talents of two local performing groups called Send in the Girls Burlesque and the Diva Support Group. Fresh off their success at the 2011 Fringe Festival with Tudor Queens: A Burlesque, Send in the Girls Burlesque is comprised of Edmonton actors, playwrights, and theatre artists. The Diva Support Group is a group of local female vocalists who work together to share ideas and provide peer support to fellow artists. Three amazing divas will be featured at the event: The Fab Tiff Hall, Lesley Pelletier, and Lindsey Walker, and ending the evening is the Bridget Ryan Hair Band Experience. Touted as Clever, sassy and fearless, Bridget Ryan Hair Band has been described as possessing "a mesmerizing quality." (Liz Nichols, Edmonton Journal, July 2011)

The fundraiser takes place to benefit the invaluable programs and services provided by HIV Edmonton and Camp fYrefly. HIV Edmonton works with those living with, affected by, and at risk of HIV to provide education, support, outreach and advocacy. Camp fYrefly is now in its 8th year of operations and is an educational, social, and personal learning camp for sexual and gender minority (LGBTTIQ) and allied youth. It focuses on building and nurturing their leadership potential and personal resiliency in an effort to help them learn how to make significant contributions to their own lives and to their schools, home/group-home environments, and communities. The Camp is designed for sexual and gender minority and allied youth between the ages of 14 and 24. All proceeds go toward these two charities, with ticket sales to benefit HIV Edmonton and the silent auction are to benefit Camp fYrefly.

Tickets cost $50 and include a full night of entertainment, the post-show concert by the Bridget Ryan Hair Band Experience, and a catered reception sponsored by Alley Kat Brewery and Yellowtail Wines. VIP Tickets are available for $100 and include entry into a special prize draw and a gift from JTMF West. $20 tickets are available for the concert and catered reception only. Tax receipts are available for a portion of the ticket price. In total, more than 50 artists are participating in the event, including those who have donated to the silent auction taking place at the end of the evening. Tickets are available online at www.hivedmonton.com, in the Red Ribbon Shoppe, the agency’s online store and will be available for purchase at the event, one hour before the doors open.

Come out and support your local community programs while being entertained by some of the fine artists of Edmonton. Get your tickets now, as organizers anticipate they will go fast.