Recap: AIDS Gala. THANK YOU ❤️

The 19th AIDS Gala is over. What an evening! We are simply grateful!

Two events that were deeply meaningful to us - both in substance and in art - shaped the evening.

In March, we sadly had to say goodbye to our long-time board member and one of the co-founders of the AIDS Gala: Kalle Riegler passed away on March 4, 2026, in the arms of his husband, Dieter. Thank you for everything! We will never forget you!

In addition, Aidshilfe is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Since 1986, the organization has been there for people living with HIV in the region, providing education on sexual health and creating safe spaces. This is work that remains just as vital today.

This milestone falls during challenging times: our financial situation is strained, we have to leave our offices, the political and social climate is hardening, and the future is concerning - for us and for the people we advise and support. Against this very backdrop, we are deeply grateful to everyone who made this benefit evening possible and stood by us: in front of, behind, and on the stage. Thank you for all the support we have felt, and thank you for bringing visibility to a cause so close to our hearts. It means the world to us!

A huge thanks to our wonderful acts. You were fantastic and powerful:

• Special Guest: Daniel Johnson [Read More]
• Iván Pérez, Artistic Director of Dance Theatre Heidelberg [Read More], with Carlos Roncero Montes, currently a guest artist at Dance Theatre Heidelberg
• Singer and actress: Barbara Zechel [Read More]
• Sports acrobat: Danilo Marder [Read More]
• Comedian: Philipp Leinenbach [Read More]

Host: Ralph Morgenstern [Read More]

Thank you for joining us in showing visibility and solidarity with people living with HIV, as well as highlighting all the diverse facets of Aidshilfe's work. It was an honor!

Juliane Schurig and Noah Dürr presented some of our services, including the expansion of our Checkpoint HIV+STI testing services, and the growth of the aws Rhein-Neckar project.

At the end of his tenure as General Artistic Director, Holger Schultze took on the patronage of the AIDS Gala. Since 2011, he has supported the gala and generously provided the theater's entire infrastructure free of charge, ensuring that all proceeds go directly to Aidshilfe. We are so grateful for your support!

A very special highlight was the presentation of the Kalle Riegler Award. This award was created by the Aidshilfe support association to honor exceptional volunteer commitment to people with HIV/AIDS.

The inaugural award went to AktHivplus e.V., an organization that has been organizing meetups for people with HIV in Baden-Württemberg for 30 years. This year marked their 100th meeting. That is an incredible achievement! Thank you for your dedication!

It was also a very special honor to have Franziska Brantner MdB (Member of the German Bundestag) deliver the laudation for the award. She has long supported Aidshilfe and its work, and we were so grateful to welcome her as our guest of honor!

A big thank you also goes out to everyone who supported this evening: Franziska Brantner donated €1,500 for our work, and Holger Schultze presented a check covering the ticket sales revenue from the theater. The donations were accepted by our Board Chairman, Peter Abelmann, and the Chairman of the Support Association, Wolfgang Erichson.

It was also a great joy when Bernadette Sonnenbichler announced that she will continue to provide the theater for the AIDS Gala during her tenure as General Artistic Director. Right there on stage, she also announced the date for the 20th AIDS Gala: Saturday, June 19, 2027. We are already looking forward to it!

We would also like to thank this year's sponsors: ATLANTIC Hotel Heidelberg, Heidelberg Marketing, Convention Bureau - Metropolregion Rhein Neckar, Druckpress Leimen, Weingut Adam Müller, Michael Sievers Production, and cheesy.photo Heidelberg.

Thanks as well to our Friends of Aidshilfe Heidelberg, led by Wolfgang Erichson, and Aidshilfe Board Chairman Peter Abelmann, who organized this evening and without whom none of this would have been possible!

Last but not least: Thank you to everyone who attended the gala! Thank you for every conversation, for the solidarity, every Instagram story and post, and for the positive, empowering atmosphere that every single person contributed to! Many thanks for all the donations received on-site, via PayPal, and through bank transfers. We are especially thrilled that so many of you decided to become sustaining members. That means the world to us!

Thank you all for your support!