Gift for Life’s Party for Life Raises Record Funds

ATLANTA – January 22, 2020 – Gift for Life, the gift and home industries' sole charitable organization, announces the historic results of its 28th annual fundraiser, Party for Life. The event raised $232,000 in support ofDIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS on Wednesday, January 15 at Atlanta’s iconic Fernbank Museum of Natural History. 

The event’s honorary chair, Thom Filicia, greeted guests and welcomed more than 450 attendees to the event, at which Anne McGilvray was presented with the Chuck Yancy Lifetime Achievement Award. A tribute video to McGilvray was followed by short remarks from the founder of Anne McGilvray & Company, a Dallas-based sales agency operating in 43 states with multiple showrooms across the country. In addition to the agency, McGilvray operates two beloved retail stores located in Dallas.

Emcee Tom Sullivan announced silent auction opportunities that included travel packages and unique home décor products. In addition to the award and auction, guests enjoyed buffet dining, multiple bars, and a DJ.

“We are thrilled with the record-setting results of our first Atlanta Party for Life,” said Matthew Katzenson, Gift for Life chair.  “Thank you to our sponsors, to Anne McGilvray and Thom Filicia, and to the hundreds of guests who created the best party in the city -- all for a tremendous cause.”

An online gallery of photos from PCP Studio is available on the Gift for Life Facebook page.

Headline sponsors included: Anne McGilvray & Company at $25,000; AmericasMart Atlanta/Las Vegas Market, NY NOW Retail Renaissance, and Poo-Pourri at $15,000; BinaNat Capital, Kikkerland, and Demdaco at $10,000; Barefoot Dreams, Dallas Market Center, Ivystone, Loloi, Michel Design Works and Vera Bradley at $5,000.  In-kind support includes Great American Media Services including Museums & More, Giftshop, and Stationery Trends; Maiarelli Studio, Whereoware, and Progressive Business Media including Gifts & Decorative Accessories and Home Accents Today. Although this event is over, it’s never too late to support Gift for Life via http://www.giftforlife.org/donate/.

Gift for Life was founded by Peter Schauben of Appleman Schauben in 1992 in response to the tragic loss of industry lives to AIDS.  The organization’s first meeting at the National Stationery Show brought together a cross-section of the industry’s leading publishers, market centers, sales reps, manufacturers and retailers – all willing to convene and work together towards a common goal.  Since that time, Gift for Life has raised more than $5 million for AIDS research, education, treatment and care through nationwide at-market events, cause marketing programs and direct donations. 

Each year, Gift for Life hosts events throughout the U.S. benefitting the DIFFA’s grantmaking to fight HIV/AIDS.  In 2019,  the 22 grantees were  AIDS Leadership Foothills-Area Alliance (ALFA); Ali Forney Center; ALPHA Workshops; Allies for Health + Wellbeing; Bailey House; Callen-Lorde Community Health Center; Equity Federation Institute; GMHC; God’s Love We Deliver; Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI); Housing Works; Jerusalem House; North Idaho AIDS Coalition; Peter & Paul Community Services; Planned Parenthood of New York City; Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE); Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS (SWHIV); The Aliveness Project; The Correctional Association of New York; Vermont CARES; Visual AIDS for the Arts; and VOCAL-NY.

For additional information visit www.giftforlife.org.

ABOUT GIFT FOR LIFE and DIFFA

Gift for Life unites the gift and home industries against AIDS with more than $5 million raised since its inception in 1992. In 2008, Gift for Life selected DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the U.S., as its primary beneficiary. Since its founding in 1984, DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities to provide more than $44 million to hundreds of AIDS organizations nationwide. More information is available at www.giftforlife.org and at www.diffa.org.