Each year, the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network’s Red Concert brings people together to enjoy an evening outdoors and support HIV and AIDS organizations.
This year, the event is Sunday, March 9, at Three Canyon Beer and Wine Garden.
Executive director Scott Blades said TIHAN started with a golf tournament benefit in 2015 and added a concert in 2016. Only the concert remains.
This year’s event will feature live music from OnesAll, a local funk/rock group that performs originals and covers.
Guests can also enjoy food and drinks at the venue, which has fire pits and outdoor gazebos.
“It’s nice because it's a big venue, but then you've got the ability to sit with your friends and be a little more intimate in groups,” Blades said.
“You can get in front of the band and dance on the little stage area, or you can just sit at your seating area and chill… It's nice to sit out in this beautiful Tucson weather that we have in March and enjoy some music outdoors.”
Attendees are encouraged to wear something red, which is the color of HIV/AIDS awareness.
The benefit will support TIHAN and the Center for Health and Hope.
“We do local HIV support, and they provide support in other parts of the world for people with HIV and people at risk of HIV,” Blades said.
“So, it’s giving donors an opportunity to support local as well as make a difference on the broader scale with people in other countries,” Blades said.
Blades said the concert is the second-largest fundraiser for TIHAN. Last year, it raised almost $30,000 and had an attendance of over 175 people.
Their largest fundraiser is an event called Treasures for TIHAN, which features live and silent auctions.
TIHAN is a privately funded, volunteer-driven organization that runs on donations, small grants and money raised from fundraisers.
The concert will support TIHAN through ticket sales, a 50-50 raffle, donations and sponsorships.
This year’s concert is dedicated to longtime supporter and advocate Joseph Heller, who died in December 2024. He was passionate about HIV and AIDS efforts since the 1980s, when his first partner died of AIDS.
TIHAN assists people living with HIV and AIDS in different ways, including providing care packages with toiletries and cleaning items, offering emotional and social support services, serving a monthly lunch every third Thursday of the month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and connecting people to important resources and care services.
They partner with other organizations in Tucson to refer individuals in need of assistance with expenses such as rent and utilities.
Blades said each year, they serve around 400 people living with HIV in Southern Arizona.
TIHAN will offer new support programs later this year.
Their new Buddy program will provide aging individuals with additional support, such as help around their homes, a ride to the doctor or someone who will sit and talk with them.
They will also introduce a new program called Positive Plus, which includes classes, educational discussions, support groups and social events for individuals living with HIV.
In January, TIHAN moved to a bigger space at 1200 N. Campbell Avenue, which is off Speedway Boulevard and Campbell Avenue.
Blades said the new facility is more centrally located near bus lines. Thus, they are now able to offer their lunch program on-site.
During the upcoming concert, TIHAN will honor Blades, the recipient of TIHAN’s 2025 Leadership Award.
For the last three decades, he has been an advocate for and served the HIV and AIDS community.
He has also been honored with the 2022 Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation Godat Award, the Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leader of the Year Award, the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Leadership Award, and Equality Arizona’s William S. MacDonald Lifetime Achievement Award.
Blades said that while he is honored to receive the Leadership Award, it is usually given to someone who does important work for the organization.
“They twisted my arm. I’m much more used to giving recognition to other folks, whether they're volunteers, donors or even our clients,” Blades said.
“They wanted me for TIHAN’s 30th anniversary, me being the founding executive director with 30 years of service. In the planning committee, someone suggested it. I said, ‘No, but what about this person? We should consider this person and this person,’ and they wouldn't let it go. They kept coming back to, ‘Come on Scott, it's 30 years, and it's really fitting for us this year to honor you.’ So, I finally relented, but I was not my first choice.”
TIHAN started in 1994, but its roots date back to four years prior to that.
The effort to help people with HIV and AIDS began with one man and grew from there.
“We started with one person standing up in one church on a Sunday and saying, ‘I have AIDS and I need some help.’ The congregation responded,” Blades said.
“There were doctors and nurses in the congregation that wanted to make sure he was getting medical care, and there were social workers that wanted to make sure he was connected to services. And grandmothers that said, ‘I don't know anything about AIDS, but I'll bake you a casserole so you're not hungry.’ And college kids that said, ‘I want to hang out and watch a movie, or we could just talk.’
“That’s how TIHAN started, with one person asking for help and lots of folks responding with compassion. Back in those days, there were no medications, so we were just helping make people’s final time as comfortable as possible. We just kept growing and kept doing that, and then we've just continued growing, adapting and changing since then.”
Blades said those needs have changed over the years, as medical advances have been made with HIV medications.
“We’re still serving people and helping them live as well as possible. With HIV, we still lose people from time to time to the disease, but not like we were in the early days. So, our role now is helping people to live as well as possible. We’re serving primarily folks who are older. About two-thirds of our folks are over the age of 50. So, we’re serving older folks, mostly LGBTQ folks and primarily people of color. Most of the people we serve are living in poverty. So, they have some challenges. We’re working to connect people with each other, so they don't feel like they're alone; connect them with volunteers; connect them with emotional, social and practical support services.”
Blades stated that their work is significant because of those they serve.
“It’s harder to live with HIV when you don't have a good support system and when you don't have income that can make your life more comfortable,” Blades said.
“So, it’s always been hard, and AIDS is no longer on the radar for a lot of people. When I meet somebody and tell them what I do, a common response is, ‘Wait a minute. Is AIDS still a thing? I thought we cured that.’ Well, I wish we did, but we haven't yet. People don't hear about it, so they think it’s no longer an issue. That’s been a challenge, but now we've got a whole new level of challenges with this administration and some of the anti-queer, anti-DEI, anti-people of color, anti-immigrant hate and misinformation being thrown at people, threats of funding cuts.
“It has real consequences in people's lives. It’s impacting our folks, and that impacts us because we want to try to build support systems, build resilience and build more ways that people can begin to thrive. And yet, we're entering a time in this country's history that it seems like we're going backward, so that’s scary for us seeing our folks having to endure that. We’ve got to be strong in our advocacy and activism and make sure that our elected leaders know that these are people’s lives you’re impacting. We've got to fight for each other.”
Blades said the concert is meant to be uplifting, while still supporting the greater mission and work.
“People know why we're there. They know what's going on. They know what we're up against. They know what we're supporting. They're standing in solidarity. This is a day to celebrate life and celebrate community,” Blades said.
TIHAN is in need of volunteers. Those who are interested can call 520-299-6647 or go to tihan.org.
The Red Concert
WHEN: 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 9
WHERE: Three Canyon Beer and Wine Garden, 4999 N. Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson
PRICE: $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Sponsorships start at $100
INFO: centerforhealthandhope.org
