COURTESY JAMEKA WHITTEN

The Red Pump Project has grown from a blogging initiative to a gala highlighting AIDS awareness in Charlotte.

A blogging initiative turned into a nonprofit for AIDS awareness.

On Dec. 3 at LaCa Projects from 7-10 p.m., The Red Pump Project presents the eighth annual Red Pump/Red Tie Affair, Celebrating the Art of Fashionable Philanthropy to benefit and raise awareness for HIV and AIDS among females.  

“We really try to engage people, a lot of young people too,” organizer Jameka Whitten said. “It’s everyone from Millennials to Gen X. You’ve got your older crowd. Everybody feels really comfortable being there and just being in a really hip and cool environment that’s not traditional, but you’re still being philanthropic, and you’re still giving back.”

This year, the Red Pump Award for raising community awareness about HIV and AIDS goes to Solita Jeffries of the Mecklenburg Health Department.

“She’s young, energetic and has been a great advocate for HIV and AIDS awareness in this community,” Whitten said.

Whitten got involved with the Red Pump Project early on as a blogger to support the initiative in 2009. Organizers encouraged bloggers of color to use the Red Pump badge on March 10 for National Women and Girls HIV and AIDS awareness day.

“I saw that, and I thought ‘wow. That’s a really cool initiative,’” Whitten said. “It’s morphed into a legitimate nonprofit organization. I contacted them and said ‘I really want to bring this to Charlotte, and I have an idea for an event. Are you guys down?’ The founders were like ‘absolutely!’ I’ve literally been with the Red Pump Project since the beginning.”

For over five years, Whitten has placed the conversation in a context that combines culture, creativity and caring for those who suffer from HIV and AIDS.

“It’s one of Charlotte’s most stylish cocktail parties,” she said. “It’s not stuffy at all. It’s so much fun. People dress the part. They’ll be in their red ties and their red pumps, but what we do during the event is a silent auction. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the silent auction go back into the program for the Red Pump project, including something that we do called Cupcakes and Condoms. We’re currently on tour for that. We did a 10-city tour, and we are finishing up on Dec. 17 in Miami. We have also partnered with 100 Black Women for Cupcakes and Condoms in March of 2017 right here in Charlotte. People can expect a cocktail reception, live music, a fashion show with local designers and beautiful models — just a really good time for a great cause.”

As social media continues to expand, the project has the opportunity to reach more people.

“Social media has been such an incredible tool for us,” Whitten said. “We have been able to engage people both online and offline for the fight for HIV and AIDS awareness, and how it impacts women and girls. Our goal is empower, educate and raise awareness as best we can. We use the symbol of the red shoe to get people’s attention, because it’s fashionable. Once we get your attention, we are able to educate. We also use the symbol to show that we are walking boldly, and that we are walking boldly in our red shoes for every woman and every girl—people in general, but specifically women and girls who are affected and infected by the disease.”

For more information: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-8th-annual-red-pumpred-tie-affair-tickets-28483417669

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