Bling H20, the bottled water company targeted toward luxury consumers, and Lucy Florence Cultural Center, a renowned entertainment complex in Los Angeles, are going Red to raise funds to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in African Americans in America.

The two companies are creating a twist on the international Red campaign where portions of the proceeds of special “red” products are donated to eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Bling H20, a bottled water company that sells its frosted and etched glass bottles that are encrusted with Swarovski Crystals for up to $40, is placing the logo for Black AIDS Institute on plastic bottles and creating red crystal writing for the glass bottles.

To kick-off the campaign, Lucy Florence, 3351 West 43rd St. in the Historical Leimert Park Village, is hosting a “Red Tie Event” from 7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. on March 10. During the event, HBO’s “Life Support,” staring Queen Latifah, will be screened. The telefilm focuses on the AIDS crisis in the Black Community.

Richard Harris, who co-owns Lucy Florence with his twin brother Ron, said 50 percent of all sales of Bling H20 red plastic bottles will be donated to the Black AIDS Institute, a national policy organization that advocates for Blacks in America.

“Bling is the only bottle of water that we’ve carried for about six months, and it has done quite well. The bottle retails for about $3.00. We estimate we’ll raise thousands of dollars,” Harris said. “In addition, we are going to distribute wholesale cases to local venues who would like to carry the red label bottles. We hope that every one will participate in investing in this movement.”

Harris said he and Ron wanted to give back to the community in the same way African Americans often did when living and struggling together in the segregated South.

“As Afro Americans, we have a real obligation to invest in a movement to take care of our own,” said Richard Harris. “We have a created this as a venue that will have an ongoing fundraising activity for the Black AIDS Institute.”

Harris said the Lucy Florence, which is home to home to the Le Florence Gallery, The Village Studio Theater, and Lucy Florence Coffee House, will assess the fundraising effort every six months.

Kevin G. Boyd, creator of the two-year-old bottled water company that markets its products to celebrities and those who want to be like them, said Bling H20 is following in the line of other companies, such as the Gap, Verizon and Apple, all of which created “red’ product lines where portions of the proceeds benefit HIV/AIDS causes in Africa.

“This is just a small way of letting people know that the AIDS epidemic is not over. It is as bad now or worse than it was 20 years ago because people are acting like the disease doesn’t exist,” said Boyd. “Hopefully, every time a person takes a sip of this water, it will serve as a reminder that they must be educated and make smarter choices.”

Phill Wilson, executive director of the Black AIDS Institute, said he’s pleased that BlingH20 and Lucy Florence are among the companies joining the movement to end the AIDS epidemic in African Americans.

“ The only way to end the AIDS epidemic in Black America is for Black people, particularly black businesses to step up to the plate. Bling H2O is a small company that has made the kind of commitment we need all black businesses to make," he said.