January 7, 2012
Philly Hosts Sapphire Weekend for LGBT Charities
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 2 MIN.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - On the weekend of January 27th, 28th and 29th, Philadelphia's Sapphire Fund will present Sapphire Weekend, a weekend of events to raise money for the Philadelphia region's LGBT charitable organizations.
The Sapphire Fund was established in 2002 to support the efforts of organizations contributing to the health and well-being of Philadelphia's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community and those who support them.
Sapphire Weekend will feature three signature events surrounding the Sapphire Ball on Saturday, January 28th in the magnificent Franklin Monument at the Franklin Institute.
The weekend will also feature Sapphire Weekend's Sunday Brunch, taking place at the Pyramid Club, with stunning panoramic views of the city (the venue is located on the 52nd floor of Penn Center).
Kicking the weekend off, the Winter Wonderland Ball is presented by Stimulus and takes place on Friday, January 27th at Voyeur Nightclub. The night promises a red carpet, live entertainment and djs, and is a semi-formal event. Tickets for the Winter Wonderland Ball are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Sapphire Weekend replaces Blue Ball Weekend, Sapphire Fund's signature event for the past twenty years. "Blue Ball Weekend was the fundraising cornerstone of Sapphire Fund for 20 years, with last year being its final year" says board President Domenic Gallelli. "We felt that this was the perfect time to launch something fresh and innovative, something that would be appealing to a broader subset of the LGBT community. As our stakeholders have grown and evolved, we as a responsible organization are compelled to oblige."
Sapphire Ball Live will run from 10pm to 1am on January 28th, and will feature a fabulous ten-piece band in one of the most spectacular rooms in Philadelphia. The Sapphire Ball Reception will precede the event from 8-10PM.
VIP tickets are priced at $150 and include both events and open bar. Tickets for Sapphire Ball Live only are priced at $60 with a cash bar. Special student pricing is available for pairs - two tickets for $100. Those who wish to purchase VIP tickets for both the Sapphire Ball and The Sapphire Brunch can do so at a cost of $185. Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event - there will be no ticket sales at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at (link here).
The all-volunteer board of the Sapphire Fund chooses a set of beneficiaries each year, to which funds are distributed late in the year. Sapphire Weekend will serve as the organization's signature event and their largest fundraising effort of the year.
For 2012, Sapphire Fund has chosen two organizations as beneficiaries. The National Adoption Center's goal is to place children in happy and healthy homes, and the Center is placing heavy focus on helping LGBT individuals and couples with adoption services. Child Advocates provides social and legal services to abused and neglected children in the Philadelphia region. They are also launching a LGBT-specific initiative, considering that so many children are treated poorly at home as a result of their sexual orientation.
"We have an amazing, dedicated group of people who are enthusiastic and committed to the success of this new event as well as to the continued mission of Sapphire Fund," said Gallelli.
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
