‘The Men of Fred’ Casting Party and Fundraiser is an event aimed at celebrating the work that has been done so far by Fred Says, raise awareness around the lives of HIV+ teens and of course cast some men for their 1st Annual Calendar.

Night-life personality Cyon Flare will host and interview contestants while folks not competing enjoy drinks and food, and help pick Fred’s new men. The men casted will be photographed by Chicago photographer Timmy Samuels of Star Belly Studios this summer, with major sponsorships from urban furniture boutique Room Service and new Lakeview salon, XO Salon. A large percentage of the sales will go directly to helping teens in need.

All men interested in being in the calendar must pre-register before April 15th by email Zach Stafford, zstafford@luriechildrens.org.

Fred Says is a non-profit organization based in Chicago, IL that works to raise money to cover costs associated with an HIV-diagnosis for teens. As of 2007, there were 1.2 billion young people aged 15-24 in the world with an estimated 10 million living with HIV. In the United States, approximately 40-45,000 new HIV infections occur each year, one-half occurring in youth below the age of 25 and one-quarter occurring before the age of 21. Fred Says is one of the few organizations that target the specific needs of teens.

Ticket prices are $10 for general admission bought online, $15 at the door and $20 for VIP ticket that includes Fred Says products and a swag bag with goodies from sponsors.