Thea Austin
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
Legacy Cares Executive Director Brooke Henderson is promising “a lot of surprises” for the agency’s upcoming Candy Land event.
While the main event takes place the following week — on Saturday, April 25 — at S4, Candy Land starts with Legacy’s Candy Land Kickoff at the Hidden Door on Saturday, April 18, at 7 p.m. Community partners DFW Sisters, TGRA, Dallas Bears, United Court of the Lone Star Empire, Miss Gay Texas, Firedancers and Onyx Lone Star will all contribute performers to raise money for the agency.
The main event, Candy Land, at 7 p.m. the following Saturday, is billed as the sweetest night in Dallas. Headlining the evening are DJ Hector Fonseca and singer Thea Austin.
Fonseca has remixed songs by Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Pet Shop Boys and more. He’s headlined The White Party and World Pride parties among others.
Austin is a singer and songwriter best known for her hit “Rhythm is a Dancer.” As the lead singer with Snap, she also had a hit with “Colour of Love.” Teaming with other singers, she’s also known for “Can’t Get Enough,” “Do It To Me Again,” and “You’re the Worst Thing for Me.”
VIP tickets to Candy Land include entry at 6 p.m. for a meet-and-greet with Austin, signature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dessert.
Also on hand will be Part-Time Justin from the Kidd Kraddick Show on 106.1 KISS-FM and honorary event chair Wesley Smoot, who produces the three-day conference Unleashed LGBTQ+ in each fall.
Candy-themed games will have prizes that include gift cards to local restaurants, stores and businesses. Themed costumes are encouraged.
All Candy Land tickets include entry to S4 for the rest of the evening.
“With the current political climate, we’ve had decreases in funding,” Henderson said.
“Events like this offset the challenges.”
The fastest growing program at Legacy is substance abuse intensive outpatient treatment as well as relapse prevention services designed for people living with HIV. To meet the need, Henderson said she recently hired a new substance abuse coordinator.
The intensive outpatient program is a nine-week, 10-hour-per-week program that combines three-hour group sessions three times a week plus an hour of individual counseling per week.
Legacy continues to do its individual and group therapy, including women’s groups and Spanish language groups for persons living with HIV.
Legacy Cottage, opened in 1996, is a seven-room facility in Oak Cliff that provides critical care in a home-like environment. While originally created as a hospice for persons with AIDS, the turnover was quick before medications became widely available. Today, the cottage serves those living with HIV who need long-term around-the-clock nursing care.
Henderson said among the funding threatened is Legacy’s HOPWA — Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS — funding. That puts the agency’s successful Master Leasing and Homebase for Housing programs at risk.
Housing is the first step in the goal of eliminating the spread of HIV within the next few years. Persons without stable housing are less likely to take their medications and maintain an undetectable viral load count.
Finally, the Grace Project stages the largest annual conference for women living with HIV. Held in Dallas each year, the event draws hundreds of women from around the U.S. Henderson said the 2026 event will probably be held in the fall.
The conference provides support, empowerment and education.
“Women leave the conference with hope and knowledge they can live with a positive diagnosis,” Henderson said.
But running all those programs requires an investment from the community. And that includes supporting Candy Land. Tickets are available at LegacysCandyLand.Eventbrite.com. Dallas Voice readers can get a 10 percent discount with the code DALLAS26.