‘Evening Under the Stars’ Garden Party with Special Guest Debby Holiday
PALM SPRINGS – May 22, 2024: AAP - Food Samaritans is delighted to announce that its upcoming Evening Under the Stars Garden Party will be held on Sunday, October 13 in the picturesque setting of Brad Lampley and Rigo Lomeli’s Old Las Palmas estate. This enchanting event promises to be an exquisite evening of philanthropy, entertainment, and community camaraderie.
The highlight of the evening will be a special performance by the acclaimed singer-songwriter, Debby Holiday. Known for her soul-stirring music and captivating stage presence, Holiday will serenade guests under the starlit sky, creating an unforgettable atmosphere of joy and inspiration.
AAP – Food Samaritans' successful ‘re-boot’ of Evening Under the Stars last October was well received. The garden party format event raised funds to help AAP – Food Samaritans support its critically needed programs that provide food for low-income people living with chronic illnesses in Palm Springs and surrounding communities.
C.E.O. Mark Anton said of the event’s format: “Post COVID, the event was reimagined, and in 2023 we brought it back to our roots and had a celebration in one of the most spectacular estates in Palm Springs, featurning abundant food and drink and a $200 ticket price that was more in line with our grass-roots nature. This October, in celebration of our supporters, we are honored to present Community Impact Awards to BONNIE AND ALAN CASHMAN, NINO EILETS, and RUTA LEE. We recognize their long-standing partnerships with us and all that they do in the community. (Much more about the honorees to come in a future news release.) We’ll complete the evening with a special performance by the superb Debby Holiday whose talent and generosity align perfectly with our mission to provide nutritional support to individuals facing chronic illnesses in our community. Please join us on Sunday, October 13 for another magical evening. We are currently seeking event sponsorships, which will enable us to keep the ticket price at $200 each.”
The event emcee will be Emmy award winner Brooke Beare, joined by celebrity auctioneer Lenny Broberg. Sponsorship opportunities, more information about the honorees, and tickets for the Evening Under the Stars are available now at aapfoodsamaritans.org, offering an opportunity for attendees to support a worthy cause while enjoying an enchanting evening of music and celebration.
ABOUT EVENING UNDER THE STARS
In the early 1990s, shortly after the organization was established, the board of directors decided to organize a small fundraising party to help increase AAP’s visibility and provide entertainment for the community while helping to raise funds to support their mission. It started simply – a board member donated the use of their backyard, and other board members and volunteers built a simple stage. The audience was treated to a series of performances and the event raised enough money to help fund the growing nutritional support program.
Over the past 30 years the event became an annual fundraising fête and one of the most elaborate galas in the Valley with up to 1,500 guests, a formal seated dinner, and world class entertainment including Barry Manilow, Cyndi Lauper, and Gladys Knight.
ABOUT AAP – FOOD SAMARITANS
Now in its 33rd year of service to the community, AAP- Food Samaritans of Palm Springs remains dedicated to providing nutritional support to help address food insecurity and improve the quality of the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health challenge in the Coachella Valley and across the world. While some people who have a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS are able to work and maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle, AAP serves those who unable to do so. Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, heart and liver disease all present similar challenges to those who are living with these debilitating conditions. While there have been developments in treating these chronic illnesses, AAP’s clients are faced with daily challenges. AAP improves the quality of life of those who need it the most and it helps its clients live healthier lives with dignity and self-respect.
ABOUT DEBBY HOLIDAY
Debby Holiday, international singer/songwriter with 17 Billboard Top 20 Dance Chart hits, broke onto the dance scene with her #5 Billboard summer anthem Dive in 2004. Holiday followed with her power ballad Half A Mile Away, which shot into the Billboard Top 10, along with Debby's follow-up dance hit Bring It On. All of Debby’s subsequent dance singles broke into the Billboard Top 20 including Piece of My Love, Surrender Me (with the incredible Tony Moran), and Joyful Sound, featured in the hit show Sordid Lives: The Series.
Debby experienced every aspect of the music industry early on while growing up in Los Angeles. Her father Jimmy Holiday was a passionate and soulful artist, topping the charts with several of his own singles before going on to co-write such hits as Understanding by Ray Charles, and Jackie DeShannon’s Put A Little Love In Your Heart. Another standard, All I Ever Need Is You, was a Top 10 single for Sonny and Cher and went on to be a huge country hit for Kenny Rogers and Dottie West.
Debby has written with a wide range of today’s top songwriters including Jeffrey Steele, Marty Fredrickson, Billy Steinberg, Erik Brazillian, and Clif Magness (Avril Levigne). Debby has shared the stage with legendary recording artists such as Rod Stewart, Joe Walsh, John Waite, and Kiss, appearing on several television programs including The View and The David Letterman Show. Debby starred in the film Blues For Willadean written by the award winning Del Shores and co-starring Beth Grant, Dale Dickey, and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer.
Debby continues to pump up the volume on the dance floors – live with her rock/soul band and on television. Her placements have included, NBC’s The Office, E! Entertainment’s How Do I Look, FX Network’s Dirt, Showtime’s hit The L Word, and MTV’s the Pick Up Artist. Queer As Folk, another Showtime hit, used two of Debby’s tracks including Dive and Half A Mile Away in its episodic finale.
In 2012, Debby hit the Billboard charts twice. Never Give Up with the amazing San Francisco based DJ Phil B soared to #9 and her next single, Key To Your Soul (co-written with DJ John LePage & Jeff Fedak) hit #21 and includes an anti-bullying themed video for the song (directed by Del Shores). In 2015 her single I Like You with Grammy Winning Producer/DJ Tony Moran hit #5 on the Billboard dance charts. Debby’s next single Lift with Indie label “Dirty Disco” hit #5 on the Billboard dance club play charts.
2017 brought the release of Debby’s Double Album ‘Free2B’ (half rock/half dance), which allowed her to fully embrace her two musical sides. In 2020 Debby hit the Billboard charts again as the #1 breakout in the country with her latest original song with Brett Oosterhaus Living For the Music. 2021 saw her Love & Beats with Brett Oosterhaus hit the Beatport charts and remain at the top of sales. In 2022 Debby’s latest release was another international success with her version of the Tina Turner song I Can’t Stand the Rain with Russ Rich on the Swishcraft label. Her latest original dance single Find A Way with Dirty Disco landed at #1 on the House of Pride Radio chart and stayed there for three weeks. Debby has 2 new singles dropping in 2024 and has started work on her next full length album. For more information on Debby Holiday including performance dates and photos please visit her website: www.debbyholiday.com Her music is available on all streaming services.