I arrived at
Encore Liquid Lounge for my very first RLTEvent at 2:30, but I still found myself running a tad late. Some volunteers showed up two hours late and set up took longer than expected. Still, at 5:30, we were trying to get the 350 swag bags stacked against the wall in the small lobby between the elevator of
Hotel Allegro and the entrance to Encore. But from the outside looking in, things were running smoothly.
People had already started to arrive when I stepped into the back to make my Diva transformation at almost 6:00 p.m. Tacky, but it would have been even more tacky leaving my team empty handed with work still needing to be done. A leader never leaves a ship when it’s time to pedal hard.
By the time my makeup was done and I stepped out into the front of
Encore Liquid Lounge, close to 6:30 p.m., I couldn't believe my eyes.
The room was already buzzing. My first event ever was in full swing. It was magical! The first people I saw were my friends Emme, an incredible jewelry designer, and Millie, the owner of
enBeadia, a bead shop, both sponsors of RLTEvent. As I made my way, I saw old friends,
Twitter followers and
Facebook friends.
The tables were adorned with Hot Tamales candy that my girlfriend Cathleen donated, one of my my favorites, conversation cards with HIV/AIDS statistics ready to be Facebooked and Tweeted, and condoms to be picked up.
This was not just a social event, but clearly an HIV/AIDS Awareness Event. The swag bags were stuffed with goodies, a lot of good information on HIV/AIDS and tons of condoms.
In one moment, I stopped and took it in. All of it! The AIDS Quilt hanging behind the bar, the balloons, the candy table, the cakes shaped like AIDS ribbons donated by
Creative Cakes by KeeKee, the homemade cakes, the big carrot cake with RLT Event on it donated by my girlfriend
Audrey, the raffle table with over 80 prizes, the Encore staff wearing bright red and the crowded room that at one point became so tight you could barely move. It was all so overwhelming.
It all seemed surreal.
The fact that God would still have purpose for my life is amazing to me. That He would want to use a little girl from Englewood to do work such as this is also amazing to me. In the beginning I couldn’t believe where this work was taking me, new territory that I could have never imagined. Think about it, who could have imagined Facebook and Twitter ten years ago?
The fact that I was actually hosting an event at a bar/restaurant was pretty amazing in itself; I don’t even go to bars. I don’t even drink, never have. All this new territory, social media and social media events to challenge stigma and shame, to educate about HIV/AIDS is pretty amazing. For Real! I’m a speaker and for the most part, that’s the area to which I had relegated my HIV work. Speaking has been my life and work. Honestly, I went to social media kicking and screaming one at a time: My Space,
Facebook,
Twitter, and my best friend
Luke doing the dragging. But now I am there and growing by leaps and bounds.
I’m here, and by golly, it is clearly what I am suppose to be doing.
Social Media is the craze and I have it by the tail and I will not let go. I’m meeting people where they are at, educating around HIV/AIDS in ways people can understand.
My Tweet-up/Meet up was the next step. And so many came out to help me make history. THANK YOU!!!! The first ever HIV/AIDS Tweet up and my very first event was quite a success.
Together we did it! Participants, sponsors and volunteers! Yes, we had a packed house but we also packed Twitter and Facebook with HIV/AIDS education.
And let’s not forget that our Master of Ceremonies,
Art “Chat Daddy” Sims, was an absolute delight and a trooper with handing out raffle prizes that seemed to go on and on... I think the evening was simply amazing: packed house, the food was delicious, cake galore, and the wonderful
candy table. There were plenty of drinks and great conversation and let’s not forget the best part of it all: we challenged stigma and shame around HIV/AIDS with our presence. We used the most popular tools of modern technology to educate around HIV/AIDS. That is pretty amazing... Thank you for being a part of this amazing night!
Post Script: Yes, there were a few kinks, but don’t give up on me... #
IcannotdoitAlone. Y’all know that I am an overachiever so I will be looking to make the next one even better. RLTEvent2 will be a World AIDS Day Event! I’m working on the date for the first week of December, I will let you know as soon as I do... Want to join #teamRae? E-mail my executive assistant Latoya at l.renae@raelewisthornton.com. The photos were taken by Errol Dunlap Photography.
To view the full album click here. More will be posted on my Facebook page from
Jason E. Jones Photography soon.
The video is coming soon.....
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