Christmas Pride
It’s December, which means the holidays are approaching us like a freight train. Fortunately, with the stress comes parties, and St. Petersburg’s biggest is happening Dec. 6. Red & Green, St. Pete Pride’s annual holiday fundraiser, returns to Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg at 7 p.m. The night of festivities will include appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus and performances by local drag performers and choirs. Entry is $35 and includes an open bar and some light bites. Every dollar earned goes toward funding St. Pete Pride and it’s community outreach programs. Get more information at StPetePride.com.
Softball eyeing “E” division
There’s a chance that the Suncoast Softball League could create a whole new non-competitive division in 2015. Due to ratings guidelines, some players get forced into different divisions each season, meaning teams get split. To avoid that trauma, the league is entertaining a new recreational league that is unaffiliated, in effect, with the national NAGAAA rules that places ratings in place and guide teams to the World Series each year. The league has asked members to take a survey to determine interest in such a division in the spring. A decision should be announced by the end of 2014. Visit SuncoastSoftball.org to keep up to date.
Drinking in heels
Leave it to the nuns of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to mix drinking, bar hopping and high heels with a fundraiser. But that’s exactly what they are doing with their traditional Holiday High Heel Bar Crawl on Dec. 7. The fundraiser begins at King Corona Cigars and Cafe on 7th Avenue in Ybor City and proceeds to nine other bars and pubs in the historic district. At the end of the night, participants are invited to strap on some high heels and race from Gaspar’s Grotto to Last Chance Bar to win some prizes. Racing isn’t required, but the fun kind of is. Tickets are $25 and benefit the sisters’ Ham It Up Holiday Fundraiser, which is on Dec. 13 and SNOW on 7th.
$215,000 and counting
The annual Suncoast Gala, presented by Equality Florida, raised a record $215,000 on Nov. 22. Nearly 400 people attended the fundraiser on top of the Palm Avenue Parking Garage overlooking the fabulous city. Rains held off long enough for Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith to make some remarks and encourage people to remain optimistic in the fight for equality while also staying impatient. The evening also included large screens where projected messages of equality were shared by those on the front lines of the equality movement.
