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• Pride Guide 2008 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE A-17

Series of events has Akron talking about the Pride Center

by Jim Lake

Akron-The Akron Pride Center is proud to share its theme of building pride, building excitement, and building partnerships in the community in this year's Pride sea-

son.

Why the renewed interest in the Akron Pride Center? For those of you who don't know who we are yet, you soon will. Exciting events like Out at the Races, Day in the Sun, and our recent tenth anniversary dinner have Akron talking about the Pride Center again. The talk will continue because there are even more events planned for the upcoming year.

Day in the Sun is back on June 29 with even more summer fun and excitement. This October, Out in Akron has been revitalized

as a true community collaboration with a week-long slate of events organized by several key area LGBT-supportive organiza-

The Pride Center is asking the community to help raise the final finds to complete the building and open its doors.

tions. The week ends on a high note with the return of Night at the Races.

So just what is the Akron Pride Center

anyway? The Pride Center is Akron's only LGBT community center, located at 1501 Aster Ave. in the Firestone Park area. The services and activities of the Pride Center are open to any person who is supportive of the LGBT community.

It is operated by the Akron Area Pride Collective, an all-volunteer organization drawn from the LGBT community, using its talents and skills to make the center function.

What's a community center without an actual building? The Pride Center had been operating out of a temporary location until a gift bequeathed by a gracious benefactor, Raffaele Vitone, and a mortgage financed by the Akron chapter of P-FLAG, enabled the organization to purchase its new site. The Akron Pride Center is now asking the

community to help in the effort to raise the final funds needed to complete the project and once again open its doors to the public.

And what's in it for you? When finished, the Pride Center building can host seminars, educational meetings and social events and serve as a safe meeting location for all LGBT organizations in the Akron area. LGBT social clubs, political organizations and religious groups will always be welcome to hold their meetings and activities here.

Visit www.Akron Pride Center.org to learn more and see how you can be a part of building pride in Akron by becoming involved in the Akron Pride Center.

Jim Lake a board member of the Akron Area Pride Collective, the body responsible for the Akron Pride Center.

Summit County Stonewall Dems had a busy first year

by Sandra J. Kurt

Akron-The Stonewall Democrats of Summit County are just over one year old, but their momentum is building.

Their banner inaugural year included a very lively 12-hour meeting with Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, a standing-roomonly party at the Office to watch the historic LGBT Democratic presidential forum on Logo, and their first round of candidate endorsements for the 2008 Democratic primary.

The Stonewall Democrats of Summit County have been seen all over the areafrom Cleveland Pride and the Akron Area Pride Collective's Day in the Sun to the governor's residence. They will be very active through the summer and fall campaign seasons supporting local Democratic

candidates who promote fairness and equality.

The Stonewall Democrats of Summit County encourage all Democraticallyminded LGBT folks and allies in Summit County to join and help them demonstrate to their elected officials that the LGBT community is a vibrant and involved community. The Stonewall Democrats of Summit County are letting Akron and all of Summit County know that advances for the LGBT community translate into advances for the entire county.

Look for the Stonewall Democrats of Summit County's fundraiser in the next couple of months. You can find the Stonewall Democrats of Summit County now on the web at www.stonewallsummitdems.org and on Facebook, as well as in the Gay People's Chronicle Resource Directory in

the back of this issue..

There are also Stonewall Democrats chapters in Columbus, Cleveland, Athens and the Mahoning Valley. For information about

all of these chapters, go to www.stonewall democrats.org.

Sandra J. Kurt is the president of the Stonewall Democrats of Summit County.

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