Skaters celebrate 10th anniversary
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Roller Girls have announced its 2016 season schedule, hitting a 10-year milestone anniversary in the roller derby field.
The sports organization is comprised of two teams: All-Stars and B-Dazzlers.
Bouts locally will be held at the Grady Cole Center, 310 N. Kings Dr.
Six homers will be held on March 5 (Greensboro Roller Girls, double header), April 2 (All-Stars vs. DC/B-Dazzlers vs. Piedmont Riot), May 7 (B-Dazzlers vs. CQS Miss B Havers/All-Stars vs. Maine Roller Girls), Aug. 13, All-CLTRG Fan Appreciation Bout, Sept. 17 (Appalachian Roller Girls, double header) and Oct. 29 (Cape Fear Roller Girls, double header).
Teams will battle Blue Ridge Roller Girls in Asheville, N.C., on April 16, All-Stars vs. Low Country High Rollers in Charleston, S.C., on June 4 and All-Stars vs. Richland Regulators in Columbia, S.C., on July 16.
Season tickets are now on sale online. Season ticket holders gain VIP access with reserved seating, lanyard and other team merchandise. There are also full-packages for adults ($55.85) and children ($33.39). Half-packages are $32.49/adult and $19.01/children.
info: charlotterollergirls.com.
Candidate soirée approaches
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An LGBT meet-and-greet reception with Deborah Ross, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, will be held on Feb. 4, 6 p.m., at 1212 Grace St., as is open to any member of the Queen City’s LGBT community.
It is hosted by John Arrowood, Toria C. Boldware, Joe Davis, Robert Dogens, Jamie Hildreth, Ray McKinnon, Dianna Ward and Jane Whitley.
Suggested contributions are $500/host, $250/co-host, $150/sponsor and $50/ticket.
Send RSVPs to emily@deborahross.com or call 919-473-3197.
To attend, register online at bit.ly/1ZL3Nx4.
info: deborahross.com.
Pride seeks volunteers and more
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Pride is gearing up for its festival and parade that will be held from Aug. 20-21.
For those who wish to become involved as a volunteer, an interest and informational meeting will be held on Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. at the organization’s office at 1900 The Plaza.
“Volunteer organizing and planning committees cover a variety of roles and projects, including festival and parade logistics, entertainment, media and marketing, community outreach, awareness and fundraising events and more,” Charlotte Pride said. Volunteers are needed for each committee.
“Over the past several years, Charlotte Pride’s annual signature event has experienced phenomenal growth,” said Richard Grimstad, Charlotte Pride co-director. “Our growth has been the result of the determined commitment and the many hours of volunteer work donated by LGBTQ and ally community members who wish to empower and strengthen our local LGBTQ community. We’re looking forward to working again with dozens more community members in the planning of this year’s event.”
In addition to volunteers for the two-day festival, Charlotte Pride has opened up its parade and vendor application process. Participation in the parade has increased since it began a few years ago. The community is encouraged to take a stand for LGBT equality and visibility and join in. Vendor locations get spoken for quickly, so those who seek a spot should apply in short order.
In December 2015, focus groups were held to ascertain the wants and needs of the festival and parade, as well as sharing with the board how it can improve, give back and engage with the community. The responses and feedback is shared online.
The organization is also seeking applicants for an executive director position, along with new board members. Interested parties can visit the website to learn more. Resumes should only be sent to info@charlottepride.org.
In addition to the annual Pride festivities, the organization also runs the GayCharlotte Film Festival, which is slated for April 21-24 to be held at Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Rd.
For a limited time, weekend passes are on sale for $50 online. They entitle the holder to 10 screening admissions, free popcorn per ticket and an invitation to an exclusive, private film screening with complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres. Film titles will be released in the near future. See the website to learn more.
info: charlottepride.org. charlottelgbtfilm.com.
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Share your news with us
Does your organization or special interest group have events or great information to share with our readers? If so, be sure to send in your information to specialassignments@goqnotes-launch2.newspackstaging.com. In the upcoming months, we’ll feature one of you in our news notes section in each issue. Are you a part of a Meetup, Yahoo or Google group and do you do something that’s really newsworthy? Do you provide a service for the community or hold fundraisers for worthy causes? Do you educate the public about LGBT issues or concerns? Of course, this is only a sampling of things we are interested in. It’s the aim of these pieces to inform, enlighten and educate our readers about what we’re doing here in the Carolinas to champion LGBT rights, as well as offer resources for those who may be interested in what your group is doing.