North Jersey Pride Presents The Black & White Ball to Benefit LGBTQ Youth
North Jersey Pride, the nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting equality, acceptance, and respect for LGBTQ youth and families in the upper Garden State, is gearing up for an evening of live music, entertainment, and delectable edibles at the Black & White Ball fundraiser for LGBTQ youth on Saturday, February 7, at the Woodland in Maplewood. The event features Tony-nominated actress Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Jekyll & Hyde) and the 18-piece Full Count Big Band Orchestra as well as the 2014-15 National High School A Cappella Champions, the “Highlands Voices”. Tax-deductible tickets will support North Jersey Pride’s LGBTQ youth-related events and Hetrick-Martin Institute: New Jersey’s after-school program for at-risk LGBTQ teens in Newark.
“The Black & White Ball provides the opportunity to break out of the winter doldrums, get gussied up, and come out to party with our amazing LGBTQ and Ally community,” said North Jersey Pride Executive Director, C.J. Prince. “But more importantly, it allows us the chance to raise money to support LGBTQ youth, our most precious resource. The recent national spotlight on the passing of Leelah Alcorn, a transgender teen in Ohio who died by suicide, underscores the necessity to help our LGBTQ young people in need. Despite huge advances in marriage equality across the country, LGBTQ teens continue to suffer abuse and rejection by friends, family and community. North Jersey Pride wants every gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning teen to feel safe and loved for who they are.”
North Jersey Pride is committed to serving LGBTQ youth and family throughout the year. Over the past several months, the organization has hosted movie nights and panel discussions; a clothing and school supply drive for Hetrick-Martin Institute’s New Jersey program; a holiday decorating day of service at RAIN Foundation’s LGBTQ shelter; and a holiday party fundraiser for RAIN. North Jersey Pride also works closely with the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which promotes safe, inclusive and respectful social environments in homes, schools, campuses, churches and the digital world for vulnerable youth, LGBTQ youth and their allies.
While North Jersey Pride is best known for its annual family-friendly Pride Festival on the second Sunday of June and its multitude of Pride Week events and activities leading up to the event, the Black & White Ball is a new endeavor designed to give people a unique way to celebrate LGBTQ community Pride in the middle of winter and help LGBTQ young people in the process.
The Black & White Ball is set for Saturday, February 7, from 7 PM to 11 PM at The Woodland, 60 Woodland Road, Maplewood, New Jersey.
To learn more about the Black & White Ball, visit:
www.northjerseypride.org/the-black-white-ball-2/
www.showclix.com/event/theblackwhiteball