Refusing to submit to the pessimism and despair surrounding the epidemic of AIDS, in 1987 a small group of Boulder, Colorado caregivers, university and community leaders came together to envision a holistic life-affirming response to the challenges of HIV. 
The epidemic was not abating, no magic bullet had been delivered from medical science, and it seemed that something was needed to sustain those living with HIV, their loved ones and their caregivers. While hope for a new cure was high, the challenge was how to stay alive, how to maintain the immune system, how to experience quality of life. The diverse and holistic scientific, medical and spiritual community for which Boulder is known was to spawn a national experience of the same dimensions.
The first retreat was funded out of the pockets of the founders. Volunteers were recruited, donations solicited. In March of 1988, 250 people came together with Dr. Bernie Siegel to explore "What Holds Promise." The program offered a broad range of topics touching on healing aspects of the mind, heart, body, and spirit. We immediately got feedback that the retreat was inspiring, healing, practical, and loving.
In 1988 we received 501(c)(3) non-profit status and formed a small local Board of Directors. The Board affirmed the holistic nature of the event, hired an administrator who was himself a person living with AIDS, and began working on the second retreat, to be offered in 1989. We also began a scholarship program so that people who were living with HIV/AIDS and had financial difficulty could attend our annual events. Since that time thousands of scholarships have been awarded, with a value well over $200,000.
In 1991 we began to expand the Board of Directors to reflect the nation, the populations we serve, and to bring a broader mix of skills to our work. Our paid staff has remained small and we rely heavily on volunteers and in-kind services. In 1993 we began to take our programming to other regions of the country, thereby reaching more people closer to their homes. Retreats were held in Berkeley, CA, Rhinebeck, NY, and Washington, D.C. Over 10,000 people have attended since 1988.
Our programs have developed so that we always offer balanced content-building on the past and responsive to the opportunities of the present. Outstanding speakers highlight knowledge gained in medical practice and research, the benefits of complementary therapies, the positive potentials of spirit, opportunities for living, recognition of loss and the many challenges facing the family of AIDS.
We are recognized for a nurturing environment, with a feeling of safety and community. Group and experiential workshops include a range of subjects, such as updates on medical and complementary therapies, nutrition, Chinese and other traditional medicines, recovering from addiction, yoga, Reiki and meditation, safer sex, opportunistic infection prevention, laughter, death and dying, grief, stress reduction, and women's issues. Special daylong institutes for HIV positive women were added in 1990 and a mono-linguistic Spanish institute was added in 1995. Starting in 2000 our programs included special daylong and weekend retreats for youth living with HIV and AIDS.