The Board of the Cherry Fund will present more than $50,000 in proceeds from its 2018 fundraising efforts to several local LGBTQ nonprofits at its annual Giveback Reception on Thursday, Aug. 23.
The reception, which features an open bar, with complimentary Tito’s vodka-based drinks and appetizers, will be held at Rooftop VIDA Fitness on U Street. At the reception, Cherry will present checks to those organizations that support the LGBTQ community through initiatives related to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, or those related to mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
Allen Sexton, the board president of the Cherry Fund, which holds dance parties to help raise the funds for these nonprofits, says that all beneficiaries will be presented with a check and a certificate honoring them for their work. Cherry will also highlight honorees in monthly postings on its social media platforms to help spread the word about the services they offer the local D.C. community.
“We put it out there for these organizations to apply for these awards,” says Sexton. “Cherry is going into its 24th year, so people are very familiar with us. Some of these organizations are definitely repeat honorees, but we also looked for organizations within the LGBTQ community that needed [financial] help.”
Cherry will present over $23,000 in checks from its Direct Grant Fund to organizations offering HIV services, including $10,000 to the Inova Juniper Program, which is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in Northern Virginia. $4,000 will go to the TransLatin@ Coalition, with smaller awards benefitting the Wanda Alston Foundation, Metro DC PFLAG, TransLAW, and Casa Ruby.
Cherry will present $11,000 from its Barry Smythers Fund to organizations offering mental health services, including Us Helping Us, La Clinica del Pueblo, and the Latin American Youth Center. An additional $2,500 will be split among The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, and the DC Independent Film Festival.
Lastly, as part of a partnership with Capital Pride, in conjunction with Cobalt, Syn/Werq, and Flashy, Cherry will present $10,000 in proceeds from this past June’s Cherry Pride events to Capital Trans Pride, and an additional $5,000 to Capital Pride’s Legacy Fund.
Over its 24-year lifespan, the Cherry Fund has raised more than $1.2 million dollars to assist HIV/AIDS and mental health service organizations who otherwise might have to scrimp and save to keep operational.
“All of these organizations are deserving. They’ve all done their part to serve our community,” says Sexton. “But a lot of them can’t or don’t receive federal or state funding. So it’s even more important for Cherry to continue its mission and its legacy of giving aid to smaller organizations which are less fortunate.”
The Cherry Fund’s Giveback Reception is on Thursday, Aug. 23, from 7-9:30 p.m. at Rooftop VIDA Fitness, 1612 U St. NW. For more information about the Cherry Fund, visit cherryfund.org.
Ruby Corado, the founder and former director of Casa Ruby, has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for allegedly diverting thousands in COVID-19 relief funds to private offshore bank accounts.
Corado, 54, was arrested and charged in March with fraud and money laundering for diverting $150,000 -- which was taken from a larger pool of $1.3 million that Casa Ruby had obtained through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs -- into bank accounts held in El Salvador under her birth name, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
Trixie Mattel, the YouTube personality, musician, and drag influencer who gained international recognition from her stint on the celebrated RuPaul's Drag Race reality TV show, announced in a video that she is going on a three-month sabbatical to take better care of herself.
The winner of Season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars explained her decision-making in a nearly 17-minute-long YouTube video entitled "I'm Taking A Break! Here's Why." In it, Mattel called her current situation "unsustainable."
Mattel appears out of drag in the video and said that the last 12 months were "the most difficult time of my entire life."
The mood was noticeably upbeat at the 25th annual International AIDS Conference, held in Munich, Germany, last month. More than 10,000 delegates, speakers, researchers, and guests, representing science, industry, caregivers, policymakers, and on-the-ground advocates from nations around the world, gathered at the event, organized by the International AIDS Society.
The conference was buzzing with anticipation of an announcement touting breathtaking results from a recent trial of the twice-yearly PrEP injectable lenacapavir.
Also causing a stir was the heartening news of a cured patient in Berlin, joining the small brotherhood of other former HIV patients who had undergone high-risk stem cell transplants, designed to combat aggressive cancers and similar diseases.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.