Donning spooky masks, inflatable suits and all sorts of glittery garb, hundreds of locals and tourists alike lined up outside of the Athabasca Hotel, July 31, for HIV West Yellowhead鈥檚 12th annual Halloween in July.
鈥淚t was amazing. This is my first time organizing the event so I had no idea what to expect in terms of how busy it would be,鈥� said HIV West Yellowhead executive director Lori Phillips, adding that she took over the director role in September of last year.
鈥淲e were very pleased with attendance and that people were very well behaved and respectful.鈥�
Capacity at the Athabasca Hotel is 295 people, but based off of wristband sales Phillips said more than 400 people came and went throughout the evening.
The annual affair is one of the organization鈥檚 major fundraisers. This year the event raised just over $2,200鈥攁 couple of hundred more than last year.
The majority of the money goes to the organization鈥檚 summer programming, supporting initiatives such as their Safe is Sexy campaign and community fairs. Some of the money also goes toward people living with HIV and Hepatitis C, helping to cover their travel costs for treatment and educational seminars.
During the fundraising event, organizers also gave away prizes for the best overall costume, best male and female costume, as well as the best group costume. Prizes included gift certificates to the Athabasca Hotel and other small gifts.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited to come back next year,鈥� said Phillips, adding that she鈥檚 already planning for the next Halloween in July. 鈥淣ext year we want even better decorations to make the whole night really pop.鈥�
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
