Jay Luque Award for Outstanding Volunteerism

Since 2001, Academy of Friends has presented the Jay Luque Award in memory of Jay Luque, a long-time, dedicated gala volunteer. Jay’s beautiful spirit lives on through the annual presentation of this award that recognizes other volunteers who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to Academy of Friends. The award is accompanied by a $2,000 grant to be given to a Bay Area HIV/AIDS organization of the recipient’s choice.

The 2008 Jay Luque Award is presented to Robert Fung.

Robert has worked for Taste Catering and Event Planning as an event designer for more than 15 years. His brilliant work has added sparkle and panache to parties all over San Francisco and the Bay Area. Robert’s work has been featured in conjunction with Gumps in Dining By Design, in support of the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF, Macy’s Passport events, and the Meals on Wheels fundraisers. He also volunteered for 8 years at Project Open Hand/East Bay by taking a delivery route. Even though Robert hates driving, he felt it was important work and believed in the cause.

Robert has been involved with AOF for 7years, lending his creative style to enhance each gala event. He feels that AOF is a great fit for his talents and interests, and says that with Academy of Friends he can give back to the community and have fun doing it. Robert is a very modest man who doesn’t enjoy tooting his own horn. But he is a compassionate man of many talents, and we are honored to have him on our team.

In memory of Debra Kent and Jay Luque, Robert has designated the National AIDS Memorial Grove as the recipient of his $2,000 grant.

About the National AIDS Memorial Grove
In late 1988, a small group of San Francisco residents representing a devastated community were looking for a positive way to express their collective grief. They envisioned a serene, natural setting suitable for memorial services or individual mourning and remembrance. From this initial concept, a team of architects, landscapers, designers, and lay people volunteered countless hours to create a living tribute to those lost to the disease.

The National AIDS Memorial Grove, located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, is a dedicated space in the national landscape where millions of Americans touched directly or indirectly by AIDS can gather to heal, hope, and remember. For all the promising prospects on the horizon, AIDS continues to invade our lives, violate our past, and rob us of our comfortable assumptions about the future. The sacred ground of this living memorial honors all who have confronted this tragic pandemic both those who have died and those who have shared their struggle, kept the vigils, and supported each other during the final hours.

In 1996, a milestone was reached when Congress and the President of the United States approved the "National AIDS Memorial Grove Act", which officially designates the historic deLaveaga Dell in Golden Gate Park, as the nation's first AIDS memorial.