{"id":213353,"date":"2025-09-09T17:22:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T17:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/213353\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T17:22:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T17:22:15","slug":"philly-aids-thrift-turns-20-come-celebrate-with-an-all-out-block-party-this-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/213353\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly AIDS Thrift turns 20! Come celebrate with an all-out block party this Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy 20th birthday, Philly AIDS Thrift<\/a>!<\/p>\n

The store, a staple in the city\u2019s secondhand scene and queer community, is throwing an all-out block party on Saturday to celebrate. The festivities will honor the thrift shop\u2019s legacy of selling used clothing, furniture, books, knickknacks, art and more \u2014 then donating the proceeds to LGBTQ+ and HIV\/AIDS service organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always just say that we\u2019re longtime AIDS activists and lovers of junk. And so we put those two things together, and this is what we came up with,\u201d said Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, director and co-founder of Philly AIDS Thrift.<\/p>\n

Kallas-Saritsoglou opened the shop in 2005 with her business partner, Tom Brennan, who has since retired.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Philly AIDS Thrift\u2019s annual block party. (Photo by Kory Aversa)<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople know we really care,\u201d she said. \u201cThe mission, it really means something to us. I grew up in the \u201880s, and the community was just devastated with people who were sick and dying, and even though things are way better than they ever have been before, people are still becoming infected. There\u2019s still more that we can do until this thing is completely eradicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past two decades, Philly AIDS Thrift has moved into a larger location, gained around 30 paid staff and donated over $5 million<\/a> to more than 50 HIV\/AIDS service organizations in the greater Philadelphia region.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning, it was a much smaller space around the corner on Bainbridge Street, and we were asking our friends to donate items,\u201d Kallas-Saritsoglou said. \u201cWe were gathering things from our apartments, and we were trying to fill up the store a little bit. Gradually, people started coming. And we were like, \u2018OK, maybe this is gonna work.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Byrne, Philly AIDS Thrift board president, is proud of how much impact the store has made over time. The organization has donated to a variety of non-profits like the Attic Youth Center, the Mazzoni Center, MANNA, the William Way LGBT Community Center, Planned Parenthood and more. They also have free, biweekly HIV rapid testing in-store, to help people stay on top of their status in a non-clinical space.<\/p>\n

\"\"Expect the unexpected for Philly AIDS Thrift\u2019s 20th anniversary celebration. (Courtesy of Philly AIDS Thrift)<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been on the board for over 10 years. I\u2019ve been a customer for all 20 years,\u201d he said. \u201cI love thrift stores, but there\u2019s something about Philly AIDS Thrift, that not only is it a great thrift store, but it\u2019s a cool store, and it actually makes a huge difference in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Byrne is still astounded by the strength of Philly\u2019s community when it comes to supporting LGBTQ+ health, particularly when paired with the power of a beloved used item.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve raised this money selling T-shirts and used bowls \u2014 housewares and furniture and clothing and books,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where all of this money has come from. And that\u2019s because of the generosity of donors bringing us their gently used items, but also our incredible customers who come in and buy. It\u2019s really, really phenomenal. I think last month, we had a 10% increase over the previous year in sales, which is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019re cordially invited \u2026<\/p>\n

Philly AIDS Thrift\u2019s 20th anniversary block party will take place Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. in front of the store on South 5th Street. All ages, genders and sexual orientations are welcome to come to the free event. There will be live music, food trucks, craft beers, artisan vendors and even a \u201csword-swallowing, fire-breathing clown babe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kallas-Saritsoglou explained the latter is a performer named Dr. Reverend MacKenzie Moltov<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey call her the clown babe,\u201d she said. \u201cShe\u2019s really awesome. I think she\u2019s one of the world\u2019s first sword-swallowing female clowns. She does fire-breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The block party will include kids entertainment and games. (Photo by Kelly Burkhardt)<\/p>\n

In addition to the pyro-theatrics, there will also be a celebrity dunk tank, featuring Philly icons. Guests can also sign up for a very messy pie-eating contest. The contest will be put on in partnership with MANNA, as a promotion ahead of its annual Thanksgiving fundraiser, Pie In The Sky.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite thing is the pie-eating contest,\u201d Byrne said. \u201cWatching people eat a pie with their hands behind their back. It\u2019s truly revolting and hysterical at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attendees can expect a variety show of fun at the block party. Philly AIDS Thrift is getting the neighborhood shops participating, with other vintage and craft vendors including South Street Art Mart, Crash Bang Boom, South Fellini, Tamme Handmade and IXIJ Art.<\/p>\n

\"\"Competitors get ready to scarf down some mixed-berry pie. (Photo by Kelly Burkhardt)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really, really good time,\u201d Byrne said. \u201cThere\u2019s always great food trucks there, but the vendors are always really varied, with lots of cool stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA dream come true\u201d<\/p>\n

In an era of fast fashion and next-day Amazon delivery, it\u2019s impressive that a brick-and-mortar store has been able to give so much back. However, for Kallas-Saritsoglou, the enduring impact of Philly AIDS Thrift is far from a mystery.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll probably find a better quality of items at our thrift store,\u201d she said. \u201cIn today\u2019s world, with the internet, you can buy anything, anytime you want, and get it the very next day. But there is something to be said about the hunt and the search for that perfect item. And I don\u2019t think that will ever, ever go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The party takes place this Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. (Photo by Kelly Burkhardt)<\/p>\n

Philly AIDS Thrift has been around for a lot of historical moments, from major milestones in the queer comunity like the creation of the National HIV\/AIDS Strategy<\/a>, the legalization of gay marriage, and the rise in trans visibility and recognition, to tougher times, including another global pandemic and a backlash against that wave of progress.<\/p>\n

In the past year, many queer organizations have dealt with uncertain federal funding cuts,<\/a> some of which affect the very same organizations that Philly AIDS Thrift supports, including Bebashi \u2013 Transition to Hope<\/a>, Planned Parenthood<\/a> and the William Way LGBT Community Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s getting harder with funding right now, right?\u201d Kallas-Saritsoglou said. \u201cAnd so I think for us, we\u2019re really happy that we\u2019re able to support those types of organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Philly AIDS Thrift\u2019s \u201cAll at Once Mural\u201d (Photo by Streets Dept)<\/p>\n

Kallas-Saritsoglou doesn\u2019t see the store stopping in its mission \u2014 shining a spotlight on HIV\/AIDS and uplifting Philly\u2019s LGBTQ+ community \u2014\u00a0any time soon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing that we\u2019re hitting this 20-year milestone,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing able to give away $5 million, it\u2019s actually $5.1 million at this point, I don\u2019t want to be like, \u2018it\u2019s a dream come true,\u2019 but it kind of is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

To learn more and receive updates on the PhillyAIDSThrift block party you can check out their website<\/a> or follow @PhillyAIDSThrift on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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