Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Equality Virginia 2009 Legend’s Honoree Announced

This is my fourth year of involvement with the Equality Virginia's Legends Gala fundraiser - last year I was co-chair of the event. This year's honoree is a wonderful friend, Cynthia Cutler, who is a one woman dynamo of civic involvement for both LGBT and other area non-profit organizations in the Hampton Roads area. Her involvement with the LGBT community is long standing and with eight intrepid other individuals and myself, she joined in founding Hampton Roads Business OutReach, a/k/a HRBOR, one of the fastest growing affiliates of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce ("NGLCC"). Cindy is very, very deserving of this honor. The following is the press release about the event which will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2009:

On November 7, 2009, Equality Virginia (EV) will pay tribute to local activist Cynthia Cutler as the honoree at its 4th annual “Legends Gala” to be held at Norfolk’s Waterside Marriot. Cutler joins past honorees Ann Dearsley-Vernon, Yvonne Miller and Claus Ihleman as exemplars in the continued fight for equality for all Virginians.
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Ms. Cutler is widely known in the Hampton Roads LGBT community as a relentless organizer and an outspoken advocate for LGBT equality. Shannon Bowman, EV Legends Committee Co-Chair, states, “Cindy has continued to inspire both the gay and straight community to demand change. She tirelessly takes on leadership roles to facilitate this change without regard to any negative implications her affiliation with LGBT organizations may bring personally.” Cutler, a mortgage specialist with Tidewater Home Funding, has an extensive résumé of community involvement. Among the organizations benefiting from her involvement are Equality Virginia, YWCA, ACCESS Aids Care and Hampton Roads Business OutReach to name but a few.
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The Legend’s Gala, now in its 4th year, is a fund raising event for EV in their continued efforts to bring equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Virginians. Equality Virginia, founded in 1989 as Virginians for Justice, is a statewide, non-partisan, education, outreach and advocacy organization. Its work includes research, voter education and advocacy on a broad range of issues of concern to LGBT Virginians including workplace discrimination, marriage and relationship recognition and anti-violence programs.
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Last year’s event, held at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club was attended by over 250 and raised more than $45,000 for the organization. Cutler’s wide ranging network of friends, associates and admirers sets the stage for the 2009 event to far exceed this lofty goal.
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Sponsorship levels for the event range from $5000 to $500. For more information contact Mardi Krantz at 804.643.4816 or go to www.EqualityVirginia.org.
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Equality Virginia’s Board of Directors and the Legend’s Gala Committee are proud to honor Ms. Cutler as this year’s Legend’s Honoree. It is her selfless commitment to our ideals that gives hope to one day reaching the goal of a truly inclusive Commonwealth for all Virginians.
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This year’s event will be at the Marriott Waterside. Tickets are available now for $100 and will go up to $135 after Oct 1. Tickets can be purchased online at www.EqualityVirginia.org.
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The boyfriend and I will be "pit bosses" high end Monte Carlo night theme of the event and we hope local readers will make a point to attend the event and say hello to us.

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