Support ROSMY and the 2015 Catalyst Award recipients at ‘An Evening in Bloom’ this weekend

GayRVA Staff
May 12, 2015

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Read More: Beth Panilaitis, CBS 6, Fundraisers, ROSMY, Springtime 2015

ROSMY’s lasting impact on Richmond’s LGBTQ youth is sure to be seen for decades to come, but in the short term, you can do your part by supporting them during their 2015 Springtime event this weekend.

This Saturday, May 16 from 7 – 11p.m., the Tuckahoe Woman’s Club will play host to ‘An Evening in Bloom’ giving those in the RVA area a chance to give back to a group which has given so much.

Events for the night include a cocktail reception, music by jazz quartet, As If, led by VCU saxophonist, Myrick Crampton, and a silent auction featuring a variety of items from vacation getaways to one-of-a-kind art created by local and regional artists. You can see some of the items available in the auction below:

“ROSMY is dedicated to addressing the evolving needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in our community, which have led us to provide increasing support to parents and training for teachers, youth workers, and other leaders in order to empower them as advocates for youth,” said ROSMY executive director Beth Panilaitis.

“We have also expanded our programs for youth in terms of both numbers of youth served and number of programs offered… We’re proud to honor their significant contributions to our community at this year’s Springtime event.”

Another highlight of the evening will include honoring ROSMY’s 2015 Catalyst Award recipients, The Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School and Diversity Richmond’s ED Bill Harrison.

The Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School founded one of the area’s first in-school support groups for LGBTQ youth In 2000, and now, after 15 years, the Gender and Sexual Minority Association continues to provide a network of support to LGBTQ youth in the school while raising awareness of LGBTQ issues among the entire MLWGS community.

Harrison has been at the forefront of the Richmond community’s efforts to affirm LGBTQ rights, raise awareness of public health issues, and protect victims of disaster. His work at the Fan Free Clinic, the Virginia Department of Health, the American Red Cross, ROSMY, and now at Diversity Richmond have garnered public attention and provided platforms to connect Richmond to larger national conversations around LGBTQ rights.

You can still pick up tickets to this weekend’s event here, and check out and interview with Panilaitis about this weekend’s event and the work ROSMY has done via CBS 6 below:

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