By Valerie Milano
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 2/3/26 – As a proud media partner of DAP Health, The Hollywood Times recently sat down for 15-minute Zoom conversation with longtime volunteer and board member Kevin Bass to discuss the heart, history, and future of the organization’s signature fundraiser, Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, now simply known as The Chase.
The interview, conducted by Valerie Milano, Senior Editor of The Hollywood Times, offered a warm, candid look at how DAP Health has evolved from its roots as Desert AIDS Project into a comprehensive healthcare provider serving more than 88,000 patients across the Coachella Valley and San Diego County.
“This is our 32nd year of doing The Chase,” Bass shared. “It’s really a time for our community to come together and celebrate the life-saving work that DAP Health does. When I say lifesaving, that’s not an overstatement.”
Bass, who has volunteered with DAP Health since the mid-1990s, spoke passionately about the organization’s mission and the role philanthropy plays in sustaining it. While DAP Health operates as a federally qualified health center with multiple revenue streams, the funds raised at The Chase are essential for providing wraparound services that go far beyond standard medical care.
“Because of the money raised at The Chase,” Bass explained, “we’re able to provide housing, food, yoga, massage, and acupuncture. That’s about treating the whole patient, not just one aspect of their healthcare.”
One of the most striking takeaways from the conversation was DAP Health’s commitment to impact. Bass revealed that a minimum of 50% of all funds raised at The Chase are allocated directly to client services, an approach that has kept the event viable even as gala costs rise nationwide.
“If we can’t go into the night knowing at least half the money is going to client services,” he said, “then it’s time to find another way to fundraise. Thankfully, our community continues to step up.”
That community spirit will be front and center on February 21 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, where this year’s Motown-themed celebration promises both elegance and energy.
“Nobody laughed at me when I said, ‘Who doesn’t love Motown?’” Bass said with a smile. “It’s going to be a celebratory night, music, dancing, and joy.”
The evening will feature a special performance by The Temptations, along with powerful video moments spotlighting DAP Health’s providers and patients. In keeping with feedback from attendees, the program has been streamlined to emphasize experience over speeches, including a dance floor, DJ, and after-party.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” Bass noted. “A classy night with a lot of fun, but also a lot of heart and depth.”
At its core, The Chase is about sustaining lives. As Bass put it plainly: “The money raised truly saves lives. If people aren’t housed, if they aren’t fed, none of the medicine matters.”
That philosophy continues to guide DAP Health as it expands services for women, children, migrant farmworkers, and long-standing HIV/AIDS patients, building on lessons learned during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis and transforming them into a model of compassionate, comprehensive care.
As Milano shared during the interview, The Hollywood Times is “thrilled to be a media partner yet again,” proudly supporting an event that reflects the very best of Palm Springs; philanthropy, celebration, and community coming together for good.
Enjoy our interview here:
