The Nicest Grizzly Bear We've Ever Met

Julian di Ciurcio has been fighting the good fight since the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic-since before those terms even existed, before reliable testing and diagnosis, before drugs were developed, before hope was anywhere to be seen. That was in the early '80s, and Julian still lived in Woodside near San Francisco. There he helped found The Aris Project, an organization that provided Bay Area clients with emotional and practical support and food. "Aris is an Ohlonie Indian word for grizzly bear-symbol of great strength and courage, which was what we all needed most in those dark days."

When he and his partner, Rob Burrington, moved to Palm Springs in 2000, Julian immediately contacted DAP Health with one question: "How can I help?" With his many years of experience, he quickly became Coordinator of our Care Team and a regular volunteer at our Health Center. As of this past November, Julian had logged an extraordinary 5,000+ hours of volunteer service to us. Five years ago, he and his partner, Rob Burrington became Partners for Life donors here, generously supporting our client services with their annual contributions.

More recently, Julian decided to name DAP Health as a beneficiary in his will and trust. After his sister's death, 18 months ago he says, "I considered a number of charitable organizations I could support in lieu of her not surviving me. I thought about my university, a theatre group I care about, and several other nonprofits. But, when I thought about where do I spend most of my time…the answer was simple: the Revivals stores, working the front desk, the Care Team, all those special events-DAP Health is obviously a big part of my life." By naming us as a beneficiary in his will, Julian is ensuring that the "good fight" he started thirty years ago, will be carried on by others long past his own life time. We are enormously and sincerely grateful for his support in its many forms!