The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation (SDHDF) held its third annual Wigfest celebration Saturday, March 10, to raise money for the Breast Cancer Alliance United to Support and Educate (BCAUSE). The event was billed as a “celebration of life and hair” and was held at the Westin Horton Plaza Hotel from 8-11:30 p.m.

The event featured cocktails, beer, wine, appetizers, desserts and coffee to give guests the energy – or courage – to hit the dance floor where a DJ was spinning a mix of old classics and new hits.

Guests who skipped the dance floor or who took a breather had the opportunity to peruse many silent auction items up for bid. Some of these included bicycles from Electra and tennis packages from Acura Tennis.

As the name of the event implies, wigs played a significant role in the evening’s festivities, just as they often do for people battling cancer and suffering from hair loss as the result of chemotherapy. Guests, both male and female, were encouraged to show up wearing wigs, and prizes were awarded for the best entries.

“Three prizes were given out,” said Alex Sanchez, SDHDF development coordinator. “Winners each got vouchers for two people to Diversionary Theatre.”

The SDHDF – established in 1996 – is an organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life of San Diego’s GLBT community by promoting responsible philanthropy and social change. The organization addresses issues such as aging, arts and culture, civil rights, education, and health and human services within the GLBT community.

The SDHDF specializes in fund raising. One of the main ways it serves the community is by aiding other GLBT organizations’ fund-raising efforts and helping with financial management and investments.

The SDHDF established the BCAUSE Fund in 2004 to fund breast cancer education and prevention programs that target the San Diego County LBT community. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

BCAUSE research indicates that lesbians may be at an increased risk of developing breast cancer because they are less likely to perform breast self-exams. They are also less likely to seek out clinical breast exams or mammograms, which would help to detect the disease at an early stage.

SDHDF calls BCAUSE a “donor-advised” fund, a fund set up by a member of the community with the intention of raising money for a particular purpose.

“We have a number of donor-advised funds at the foundation,” said David Pierce, SDHDF executive director. “These are funds where an individual or an organization can say, ‘I’d like to establish a fund,’ and then the individuals who establish the fund are advisors, and they can recommend that grants be made from the fund to local non-profit organizations.

“The BCAUSE fund was established by Peggy Walkush, one of our board members who is also a breast cancer survivor. She really wanted to raise awareness of breast cancer and help with screenings,” Pierce said. “So she and her partner, Jan Tisdale, set up this fund, and every year they have an event that raises money that goes into the fund.”

In addition to special events like Wigfest, BCAUSE raises money by seeking contributions. Individuals who contribute at least $500 per year are allowed to participate on the fund’s board of advisors, which meets several times a year to vote on recommendations for grants and organize events.

Wigfest tickets were $80 for those who paid in advance online, and $90 at the door. Approximately 110 people attended the event. As of press time, the SDHDF didn’t have a final total for the amount of money raised.

BCAUSE disbursed two grants to local organizations at Wigfest. “One Grant for $4,000 was awarded to The Center for an existing breast cancer awareness program called ‘You’re not alone,’ a bi-weekly support group,” Pierce said. “Another grant for $2,500 was awarded to Elder Help of San Diego to expand its current lesbian health education project.”