Published: July 14, 2008 04:15 am         

Light for Life benefit planned

The 11th annual Light for Life benefit art exhibit and silent auction for Catskill Rural AIDS Services will be from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Roxbury Arts Group Gallery on Vega Mountain Road in Roxbury.

Organizers said they expect to have 100 original art works by prominent artists for sale. Hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served, and there will be drawings for door prizes. All are included in the admission price of $15.

Artists such as Ann Lee Fuller, June Faulkner, Dan Flanagan, William Waggoner, Jody Primoff, Yoko Ono, Matthias Kern, Judith Lamb, Margaret Leveson, Gerri Scheele, Christy Rupp, Barbara Bravo, Roger Bobley, Louise Fishman, Deborah Freedman, Deborah Geurtze, Karen Graves, Charles Bremer, Gail Bunting, Christopher Durham and Fawn Potash have donated works for the sale.

The art auction is the largest single source of income for Catskill Rural AIDS Services, presenters said. Last year, more than 400 people attended the benefit, raising more than 30 percent of the organization's annual operating budget. It has become the premier art event for the region, providing many artists exposure to new collectors.

Catskill Rural AIDS Services is a unique local not-for-profit developed in response to the support needs of individuals in this community. Organized in 1997, CRAS's mission is to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and to enhance the quality of life for people living with the disease. All of the proceeds from this benefit will go to providing essential services in the local area, which are provided free of charge.

For more information, call Patti Timoney at 436-9554 or Mary Sheerin at (845) 676-3527. A preview of some of this year's artwork can be seen on the CRAS website at www.

catskillruralaids.org.