A good afternoon to everyone! I wanted to let you know between Kathy and I we are in full gear preparing for the Human Rights Campaign Gala on February 26, 2011 at the Raleigh Convention Center. I have just taken over the responsibility of finding and supporting table captains whose role it is to find 9 other people to purchase tickets and join them at their table. For those who do not know, The Human Rights Campaign is the largest and most visible group pushing for LGBT equality at the federal level.
The state-level Gala Dinners are responsible for about twenty-percent (20%) of the Human Rights Campaign’s budget each year. When we hear of successes such as the repealing of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Hate Crimes legislation such as the Matthew Shepard Act, and campaigns that lead to the resignation of officials who are overtly hateful to the LGBT community, the Human Rights Campaign is involved.
These victories don’t just happen. It is the tireless work of Human Rights Campaign organizers, volunteers, and people like you and me who will support them. Below is a message from my Gala Dinner co-Chair Keith Hayes. Please read through and consider becoming a table captain, or at the least purchase a ticket at www.hrccarolinas.org.
(Please note that there will be once or twice weekly updates sent through this e-mail system through the end of February to support the HRC Gala and then normal once or twice monthly updates will resume.)
The 2011 HRC North Carolina Gala is a mere seven weeks away – February 26 at the Raleigh Convention Center.
We are in full throttle planning another fantastic event. Attendance is key to our success, and Table Captains are key to attendance.
I have spoken or emailed many of you in the past to urge you to sign up as a Table Captain for the Gala (under the “Assist and Volunteer” tab). Some of you already have. If you have not, PLEASE considering supporting HRC’s important work by signing up this week. In short, this is all it takes:
- Purchase your individual ticket through our website. Ticket prices go up from $175 to $200 in a few weeks, so the sooner the better.
- During the purchase process, you will have the option of identifying yourself as a Table Captain – just make the appropriate selection. Your name will appear on our site within 24 hours as a Table Captain.
- As a Table Captain, your only “job” is to try to fill your table. Tables seat 10 people. If you cannot fill your table, then please don’t stress over it. All we ask is for your best efforts, and we are here to help. The Gala Committee will fill it out for you as we finalize seating.
- When your friends purchase their tickets, all they need to do is identify you as the Table Captain they would like to sit with.
Table Captains are invited to a kick-off reception on Friday night, February 25 at the Convention Center – linked to a special Drag Bingo event at the Convention Center that night. Also, Table Captains who are small business owners are entitled to other privileges such as networking events with professionals in the Triangle and the first fifteen small business owners or managers who fill their tables are entitled to attend the “Hundred Days to Abundance” course offered by Team Nimbus of North Carolina. For more information, please contact Gala Dinner co-Chair Jeffrey Marsocci at 919-844-7993.
The 2011 HRC North Carolina Gala theme is ASCEND: no excuses. It conveys reasons to be optimistic (like the recent repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) and the need to continue persevering to ASCEND to full social and political equality in America.
Your involvement as a Table Captain will help get us there. By attending the Gala, you and your friends help create the sense of solidarity our community continues to develop and help keep HRC a strong, effective and robust organization.
Please let me know if you have any questions. PLEASE consider becoming a Table Captain. If you cannot, you can help by purchasing a ticket to the dinner for yourself (maybe you’ll find a Table Captain online to sit with). You could also consider forwarding this email to a friend who might be interested in becoming Table Captain this year.
Thank you for your support,
Keith Hayes
Gala Dinner co-Chair