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Fiesta Blanca 2000 Fall-winter/2000 Puerto Vallarta's beautiful Villa Verano was the venue for Fiesta Blanca 2000, a private fundraising garden party featuring live music, gourmet food and cocktails—all of which were donated by local musicians, the finest restaurants and select local businesses. A silent auction gave guests the opportunity to bid on fine art, jewelry, Cuban cigars, a stay at a boutique hotel as well as an evening cocktail cruise onboard a luxurious 94 foot yacht and more. The event raised more than $23,000 dollars, which were donated to the Organización Vallarta Contra el SIDA. A.C. (OVCS), Vallarta's Organization for the fight against AIDS. The organizers are hoping to make this successful fundraiser an annual event. Among the special guests who flew in to attend this casually elegant fundraiser were actor Greg Kinnear and Entertainment Tonight's Julie Moran and their families. The rest of the guest list reads like a Who's Who of Puerto Vallarta. Villa Verano, a private oceanfront villa owned by California restaurateur Burt Hixson, is a popular retreat for entertainment industry insiders and was the location of a recent episode of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. The OVCS was established in August 1998 by several local doctors, businessmen and civil employees in response to a community need. Ricardo Blanco de la Mora is President of this all-volunteer organization, and its members are in the forefront of Vallarta's battle against this illness that knows no cultural, age, sex, or economic boundaries. They are working to educate the public about the basic facts of AIDS and to raise local awareness about the existence and pre-vention of AIDS by training volunteer educators to go out into the community. Their goals are to help provide low cost, confidential AIDS testing, purchase badly needed medicine and supplies and provide a 24-hour telephone hotline for education and support. Many people still believe that AIDS is a disease that affects only homosexuals. The reality is that Vallarta's fastest growing segment of AIDS-infected individuals is young, heterosexual women and, in some cases, their unborn children, who could be born without AIDS if the mother is treated in time. Anyone wishing to volunteer their time or make a financial contribution can do so by contacting the office of the Organizaci-n Vallarta Contra el SIDA at Hidalgo 533, downtown, tel: 222-2414 or by contacting Jeri Grant at 221-0106 or 044-329-21787. Deposits can be made directly to an OVCS account at Lloyd: No. 50456-3. Checks must be made out to the name "Lloyd".

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