06 November 19
Ending HIV
Red Friday is coming! What will you be doing?
Uniting together for a cause like World AIDS Day on December 1st is something we’ve been doing for decades now – it truly is a special and important time of year. And this year, ACON will be doing something a little bit different, called Red Friday!
Held on the last Friday in November (November 29th), it’s a day to raise funds for HIV awareness, prevention and support by hosting an event with the theme of… you guessed it RED!
How can I be a part of it?
There are soooo many ways you can get together with friends, family and maybe even strangers to help raise funds towards the fight against HIV. You could…
Organise a social sporting event using red team uniforms
Get that colour co-ordinated red uniform on and get some balls throwing! That’s how sport works right? If you already have a group of friends who get together for a social game or two, or maybe you visit a local gay sporting club, then this could be your opportunity to look cute in a limited-edition red jersey and flex those organisational muscles for your sporting friends too see.
Have a red wine tasting
Don’t overthink it! Everyone chips in for red wine and some extra for helping to fight HIV!
Have a red-themed morning tea; red-velvet-cake-eat-your-heart out-extravaganza!
Category is: LET THEM EAT CAKE! We’re talking red velvet cake, strawberry fondue, ruby red chai, Iced Vovos (pink is sorta red) and all-baked-goods-needlessly-coloured-red-with-food-colouring-couture. You could invite all your guests to bake a cake and join you for the morning tea!
Host a party with guests wearing costumes featuring red
This could be your moment to channel Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada to a house full of friends and fashionistas dressed to the gawds in red glamour.
Roll the dice, it’s a red-themed games night!
From Risk to Mario Kart, Scrabble to Werewolf, game nights are a great way to have some competitive fun and make some new frenemies. Whether it’s as simple as having a red-themed snack table, or have an elaborate string of games which use the colour red (Super Mario Party, Red Dead Redemption or Twister) make it a games night to be red-membered.
Winner-winner it’s a red-themed dinner (party)
Whether it’s a six-course meal, or Red Rooster deal, a dinner party for a cause always goes down a treat! Cooking isn’t your strongest suit? Batter up your friends! Make it a pot luck and you can always pick up some red dips… I see you salsa!
Make it a hike or get on a bike: red short-shorts required
Getting out into the great outdoors, again with matching red clothing (be they booty shorts or otherwise 😉) is another great way to raise awareness for HIV! Pack some red cordial for hydration to give yourself the energy to make it that extra kilometre and put on plenty of sunblock to make sure your faces don’t go red with sunburn.
Unlock your inner auteur, program a red-themed movie night
Colour has been a device that many directors have utilised to bring out themes and emotions, so why not program a night where the films featured have the word red in their title! Or make it a night to show the LGBT / HIV films that get your heart pumping.
How to get started
It’s super easy! You can start organising your Red Friday event by registering your event online here and ACON will send you a host kit with resources that will help you put together the best red-themed fundraising event you can think of. Red Friday events can occur on ANY Friday in November, so don’t let time be a constraint when it comes to your big day.
If organising a physical event isn’t your thing then that’s OK! You could organise a completely digital event and fundraise that way. People across NSW are already setting up events – check out what they’re doing on the fundraiser page here or you can watch this video to find other ways to support this year’s Red Ribbon Appeal.
Whatever you can contribute to over this period is appreciated!
Reddy… go!