Media/Publicity Contact: Joseph Flores - [email protected] 760-605-4180 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund together with The Dallas Wings announce a special virtual event “RISE TOGETHER!” Hosted by Writer/Director/Activist DEL SHORES on June 30, 2020.

June 12, 2020 - DALLAS, TX: GDMAF, together with The Dallas Wings, invite all to “RISE TOGETHER” for a special one-night only, virtual fundraising event hosted by DEL SHORES (Sordid Lives). The LIVE event will begin at 7pm central on June 30th online at: GDMAF.org/RISE. RISE TOGETHER will feature a look at the history and impact of GDMAF as we celebrate 25 years of helping those with HIV and AIDS in the Dallas Metroplex. Viewers will be able to engage by chat with Del Shores, win prizes, bid on items in the online silent auction, enjoy intimate performances by various celebrity and local MetroBall artists, hear a special PRIDE message from the Dallas Wings and learn first hand from organizations and individuals whose lives have been changed by the volunteers of GDMAF and your generous community support over the last 25 years. Go online now to gdmaf.org/ RISE to pre-order your special PRIDE Box with a customizable RISE TOGETHER event t-shirt and a special assortment of GDMAF and pride swag. Order by 6/23 to receive your box in time for the event. Don't worry, the boxes will still be available during and after the online event and 100% of the proceeds from each box is donated directly to GDMAF.

Our special guest host, Del Shores, is the writer/director/producer of the films Sordid Lives, Blues for Willadean, Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding. He wrote and executive produced the MGM feature Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got The Will? He has written seven plays, all published by Samuel French, produced thousands of times worldwide, four adapted for screen. The play adaptation of his film A Very Sordid Wedding premieres in August 2020 at Dallas’ Uptown Players with many productions to follow. His latest standup show Del Shores The Sh*t Stirrer is currently on tour.

The Dallas Wings is proud to support the Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund and their efforts to help all those living in North with HIV and AIDS. The WINGS Organization is also proud to work in conjunction with not only a local non-profit in GDMAF but to also support a local business such as Pride Basics who is known for supporting and giving back to our LGBTQ+ Community.

With our efforts to work together during this current global pandemic while still celebrating Pride month and our brothers and sisters of the LGBTQ+ Community, we will once again “Rise Together” and help raise funds for GDMAF. This event is being made possible for GDMAF with the generous assistance of The Dallas Wings, Pride Basics, The UPS Store at Oak Lawn, BarTech Services, DivasAndDjs.com, Del Shores and Landmark Media. To sponsor or make a donation, please contact David Hearn at [email protected] or go online to gdmaf.org/RISE.

### Social Media: facebook.com/GDMAF twitter.com/GDMAF instagram.com/GDMAF snapchat: GDMAF.Dallas

Official Hashtags:

#RiseTogether2020, #Rise2020, #GDMAFRise, #WINGSRise, #GDMAF, #Wings, #WingsNation

Direct Contacts:

For All Media, Publicity, Artist and Event Info (Including Interview Request): JOSEPH FLORES e-mail: [email protected], Cell: 760-605-4180.

For Event Sponsorship and Donation Information: DAVID HEARN, Founder/Treasurer GDMAF e-mail: [email protected] Cell: 972-743-6323

For The Dallas Wings Basketball: JORDAN BACCUS, Manager of Group Sales e-mail: [email protected] Office: (817) 900-3014

For Official Merchandise: PRIDE BASICS - pridebasics.com email: [email protected] Office: 936-443-3617

About Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund (GDMAF):

GDMAF, celebrating it’s 25th year of helping those with HIV and AIDS in North Texas, is the presenting organization of MetroBall which is the primary fundraising source for GDMAF; a North Texas-based 501c3 organization founded in 1996 with a mission to provide emergency financial assistance to individuals living with HIV/AIDS that are otherwise unable to receive other social services assistance.

In addition to individuals, GDMAF provides assistance to other North Texas Programs once their primary funding is exhausted. Organizations included are: Prism Health of North Texas, AIDS Outreach Center Fort Worth, Resource Center, Access & Information Network, Health Services of North Texas Denton, Health Services of North Texas Plano, AIDS Services of Dallas, Amelia Court – Parkland Hospital and Arch Center - Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Legacy Counseling Center, AIDS Walk South Dallas, AHF - AIDS Health Foundation and A Sister's Gift.

About The Dallas Wings:

The Dallas Wings are entering its fifth season in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Playing games at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, the Wings have made the playoffs two of its four seasons in Dallas and look to push further during the 2020 season with Head Coach Brian Agler at the helm. About Del Shores:

Del Shores is the writer/director/producer of the films Sordid Lives, Blues for Willadean, Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding. He wrote and executive produced the MGM feature Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got The Will? He has written seven plays, all published by Samuel French, produced thousands of times worldwide, four adapted for screen. In television, Del wrote, directed, executive produced and created the LOGO series, Sordid Lives: The Series. He also wrote and executive produced Showtime's groundbreaking Queer As Folk for the last three seasons, wrote and produced for Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey. He has directed Academy Award winner ; Grammy Award winner Olivia Newton-John; Emmy winners/nominees Beau Bridges, , Leslie Jordan, Bonnie Bedelia, Bobbie Eakes, Patrika Darbo and Rue McClanahan; Spirit Award winner ; Screen Actor's Guild Award-winner Beth Grant; as well as Caroline Rhea, Debby Holiday and David Steen. As a performer, Shores has performed in hundreds of standup gigs and just completed a 2018 national tour with his new critically acclaimed and award-winning one-man play Six Characters In Search Of A Play directed by Emerson Collins. The play was filmed February 2019 at The Celebration Theatre live and has already been accepted into five film festivals. It will be released for DVD/streaming release in 2020. Del’s new play This Side Of Crazy premiered at San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theatre Center September 2019, with subsequent productions in Los Angeles, Dallas and Nashville in 2020. The play adaptation of his film A Very Sordid Wedding premieres in August 2020 at Dallas’ Uptown Players with many productions to follow. His latest standup show Del Shores The Sh*t Stirrer is currently on tour.

Hosted by Del Shores Writer/Director/Standup/Activist

Live Music, MetroBall 2020 Entertainers, Auctions, Pride Boxes and Prizes!

#GDMAFRISE · #WINGSRISE · #RISE2020 · #RISETOGETHER2020 · #WINGSNATION · #GDMAF · #WINGS

Photo by Jason Grindle

Photo Credit - Jason Grindle