Homecoming 2013

Each year, William Way LGBT Community Center's Homecoming celebrates the community and the talented and passionate individuals that make it fabulous, all on the evening before Philly PRIDE. http://waygayhomecoming.brownpapertickets.com/ Let us welcome you "home" for an evening of great food and drink, live entertainment, and a spectacular silent auction. Our Emcees Miss Mary Wanna and the Notorious OMG are excited to present a diverse array of talents, from drag to dance to voice, and beyond! The line-up includes: Manila Luzon Porcelain Tammy Faymous Omyra Lynn's Vicious Delicious Sebastian Icon Ebony-Fierce Cleo Phatra Meg Foley Lela Aisha Jones Includes Mediterranean buffet dinner and Open Bar. TICKETS: http://waygayhomecoming.brownpapertickets.com/ Sponsors include Knock Bar & Grill, Philadelphia Distilling, El Dorado Rum and TuB Gin. ******************************************************* THE HOMECOMING COURT Check out the individuals who comprise the 2013 Homecoming Court and see the amazing ways in which they've impacted our community and the entire city: Anna Aagenes Anna Aagenes is the Executive Director of GO! Athletes, the nation's first outreach, support, educational, advocacy and leadership organization for LGBTQ student-athletes. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Penn and received the 2010 LGBT Alumni Association Award. Anna is the District Office Director for PA State Rep Brian Sims and is responsible for managing the office's constituent services, outreach, event planning, and community engagement. She advocates on behalf of LGBTQ homeless and runaway youth through the Connect to Protect and is a vocal advocate for the HIV+ community. Crystal Cheatham Crystal Cheatham is a writer, educator and the Executive Director of the Identity Kit Project, which works to "engage and teach youth and young adults the skill of civic dialogue on topics at the intersection of sexuality and religious identity." The Project achieves this through live workshops as well as distribution of ID Kits, sent to youth across the nation as a free tool to guide them through coming out in religious spaces. She continues to teach at The Attic Youth Center, and she was also a 2012 Equality Rider with Soulforce. Sharron L. Cooks Sharron L. Cooks is an activist and advocate for the LGBTQ community. At the Center, Sharron wears many important hats, including front desk volunteer, TransWay facilitator, and IndiGoGo Committee member. In 2012, Sharron's appeal video, which was featured at Indigo Ball, inspired hundreds of people to contribute to the Center. Sharron is an Honors Student at the Community College of Philadelphia, where she founded and serves as President of the Gay-Straight Alliance. Sharron has helped to plan the Trans-Health Conference and facilitated a Trans Support Group at The Attic. Samantha Giusti Samantha Giusti became the Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund in December 2012, with the distinction of being both the youngest person and the first female to hold that position. Prior to taking the position, Sam's community involvement included spearheading Stimulus Productions' "Stimulus Gives Back" program, volunteering for GALAEI's Alternative Prom, and serving as co-chair of William Way's Resource Development committee. She continues to volunteer her time as an organizer of the Philadelphia Dyke March and as a member of the Allies Caucus of the Elements Organization. Jennifer and Marion Leary Jennifer Leary is a firefighter and founder of the Red Paw Emergency Relief Team, which has responded to over 300 incidents and assisted hundreds of animals in six counties, with emergency transport and veterinarian care, temporary foster services, and ongoing medical care. Jennifer is part of the Emergency Services Leadership Committee for the American Red Cross SEPA Chapter and was just elected onto the City of Philadelphia's Animal Advisory Committee. Jennifer's twin sister, Marion Leary, is a critical care and emergency medicine nurse researcher and the assistant director of clinical research for the Center for Resuscitation Science at Penn. Prior to graduating from Thomas Jefferson University, Marion worked and volunteered for a variety of AIDS service organizations. In 2011, Marion founded Sink or Swim Philadelphia to help uninsured and underinsured people pay for medical expenses using social networking and medical crowd-funding. Sink or Swim has raised over $30,000 for 17 recipients. Bob Skiba Bob Skiba has been a tour guide in Philadelphia for over 13 years. He's the president of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides and serves on the Education and Museum Committee at Elfreth's Alley and the Advisory Committee for Dance USA Philadelphia. Since 2006, Bob has been the volunteer archivist at the Center, dedicating dozens of hours every week to one of our community's priceless treasures. He has given many lectures and produced exhibits about Philadelphia's gay history. Recently, he was honored with the Founders Award from Men of All Colors Together. ******************************************************* Tremendous thanks go out to the Homecoming Planning Committee: Maryann Aguiar Eric Ashton Rudy Flesher Cody Freeman Jennifer Gessler Kathryn Hinchey Mandeep Jangi Justin Nordell Andrea Rodgers Christia Schmidt Chumley Singer ******************************************************* TICKETS: http://waygayhomecoming.brownpapertickets.com/