Light in the Grove is a breathtaking community experience that is recognized as the Bay Area’s best LGBTQ+ fundraising event year after year.
What makes Light in the Grove special is more than the gourmet hors d’oeuvres, imaginative artistic features, and champagne strolls through the magically-lit Grove. It’s the community that gathers in the Grove to celebrate life and ensure that the story of those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS is remembered in perpetuity.
The Importance of the Light in the Grove Community
At the forefront of that community during Light in the Grove are its hosts. These hosts play a pivotal role in the event itself and Light in the Grove’s ability to support the National AIDS Memorial’s essential mission and programs.
Ron Adams and Leah Ogden are two longtime hosts who believe that their community's strength is more essential now than ever. “What the Grove means to me is community,” Ron explains. “It’s a community that is unique and tragic and then in some ways very triumphant.”
“It’s important that we remember what happened because it can happen again,” says Leah. “And this place is a testament to all of the people who decided that… we need a place to celebrate life. People come here and they feel safe.”
A Commitment to an Ongoing Crisis
Ron and Leah are Native Californians who first discovered the National AIDS Memorial Grove through one of the many people we all know who have been impacted by the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis.
“My friend Karen’s son Jason had died in 1995 from the blood products he received as a hemophiliac,” Leah explains. “John (Cunningham) invited Karen and me to come (to the Grove)… And we walked into this sanctuary of people and joy and community and color. That was the first year that we went to Light in the Grove, and we’ve been supporting every year since.”
The 10-acre memorial for those impacted by AIDS lives on into its 35th year thanks to the efforts of community members like Ron and Leah. This dedicated space for healing, hope, and remembrance will honor those who have fought against HIV/AIDS for another 35 years and beyond through the support of those like them.
Why Light in the Grove is Still Important in 2025
In 2025, fear, silence, discrimination, and stigma are felt by more communities beyond ours. “In this current time period, the sympathy on the part of people involved in this project transcends just this sector,” Ron points out. “It’s really a broad way of thinking and doing and looking at others and being helpful and uplifting.”
The National AIDS Memorial’s mission to eliminate fear, silence, discrimination, and stigma takes us beyond the HIV/AIDS crisis and into other fields of health and social justice. Programs like our Scholarship Opportunities help us support the next generation of changemakers looking to carry the lessons of the HIV/AIDS crisis to fight other instances of injustice.
According to the World Health Organization, more than one million people acquired HIV in 2024 alone. By supporting events like Light in the Grove that support the ongoing sharing of the tragic story of AIDS, we make strides toward ensuring that future communities will not be harmed by the fear, silence, discrimination, or stigma that have defined the crisis for so long.
Host Light in the Grove or Secure Your Tickets Today
“Whenever anyone visits San Francisco or the Bay, I ask them, 'Have you been to the Grove?’ And I bring them,” says Leah. Similar to Leah, we invite all who can join us in this magical space with this incredible community.
Join us as a host or a guest on Sunday, November 30, for this truly unique and inspiring experience:
