Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Popular AIDS Fundraising Thrift Store to Open New Location in Southern California

’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Props to Benefit AIDS Patients at Grand Opening of Los Angeles Area ’Out of the Closet’ Superstore Donated Props & Set Pieces from Cult TV Show to Be Sold at Grand Opening Sat. June 12th Proceeds Benefit AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the Nation’s Largest Specialized Provider of HIV/AIDS Medical Care with Clinics in the U.S., Africa and the Caribbean What: Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening Sale at Out of the Closet’s Newest Store Benefiting AIDS Healthcare Foundation When: Saturday June 12th 10:00am Where: Glassell Park Out of the Closet Superstore, 2425 N. San Fernando Rd., Los Angeles 90065 Who: Mona Field, President of Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District. Ben Wong, Assistant to Member of State Board of Equalization. Michael Weinstein, President, AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Contact: Miki Jackson, Consultant to Public Affairs Dept. (323) 855-0764 mobile John Nieto, Out of the Closet, General Manager, (323) 509-3772 mobile Patrick Falk, Out of the Closet, Administrative Coordinator, (323) 497-0551 mobile

LOS ANGELES, June 12 /PRNewswire/ — Out of the Closet, AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s (AHF) popular and award-winning thrift store chain is set to open its twenty-first store. The new superstore location is a "bigger and better" kind of thrift store. The new Glassell Park location is starting off with a bang with some Hollywood help via a generous donation from 20th Century Fox, the producers of the high-profile television drama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this Saturday, June 12th at 10:00am in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and sale at the new Out of the Closet Glassell Park Superstore site, 2425 N. San Fernando Rd., Los Angeles, 90065. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030429/AHFLOGO) A vast array of props, set pieces and artwork from the cult television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (starring Sarah Michelle Gellar) have been donated and will be for sale at the Saturday grand opening.

Voted L.A.’s best time and again by the L.A. Weekly and other media, Out of the Closet has long benefited from Hollywood’s generosity — donations from individual celebrities and film and television production houses have both helped raise funds for AIDS care and delighted shoppers via their chance to own a bit of Hollywood history. The Glassell Park Superstore grand opening will be no exception: Some of the Buffy items include set furnishings such as tables from the bronz bar, posters from The Double Meat Palace, props from Dawn’s bedroom, kitchen appliances and even a coffin.

"Buffy fans should ’scooby-doo’ their way on down to our new Glassell Park Out of the Closet store this Saturday," said John Nieto, Out of the Closet Retail Stores General Manager. "20th Century Fox has generously donated several wonderful props, set dressings and artwork from the popular TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer which recently ended its successful seven-year run, to AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Out of the Closet chain, and many of these items will be on sale to the public as part of our grand opening."

Proceeds from Out of the Closet benefit AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Out of the Closet revenue enables AIDS Healthcare Foundation to continue to provide compassionate, high quality care for persons with HIV and AIDS regardless of their ability to pay," said Michael Weinstein, AHF President. "This, our twenty-first store in California, will help us to continue to provide care to thousands of people living with AIDS, from Los Angeles to Uganda.

AHF’s Out of the Closet stores have frequently benefited from Hollywood’s numerous film and television production companies and celebrities. In the past, donations have included items from Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, directors Ron Howard and Tim Burton, as well as props and clothing from the film Selena, Fox TV’s The X Files, and former ABC-TV sitcom Grace Under Fire. In August 1997, Producer Aaron Spelling donated more than $100,000 worth of props and merchandise from his cancelled series, Pacific Palisades to OTC.

Out of the Closet’s newest location is at 2425 N. San Fernando Rd., Los Angeles. As with other Out of the Closet stores, the Glassell Park location will feature men’s, women’s and children’s clothing as well as books and antiques. For free pick-up of large thrift-store donations, please call Out of the Closet’s toll-free number at 1-800-558-8220. Store hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the largest specialized provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the United States. AHF serves thousands of patients in California, New York and Florida regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. AHF also operates free AIDS treatment clinics in South Africa, Uganda and Honduras via its AHF Global Immunity program.

For more information, contact John Nieto, AHF’s Out of the Closet Retail Store General Manager (213) 509-3772 or Patrick Falk, Out of the Closet Administrative Coordinator at (323) 497-0551 or visit www.aidshealth.org.