The Center on Halsted ( The Center ) held its annual fundraiser, Human First, May 14. In a departure from the traditional gala format of an elegant dinner with dancing afterwards all held at an upscale hotel, the Center instead chose to host an evening of comedy and music to a sold-out crowd of 1,500 at the Harris Theater for Music & Dance.
The Human First performance and gala benefited the many programs run at The Center. These include the Anti-Violence Project; Legal and Referral Services; Mental Health Services; and SAGE ( Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders ) to name but a few.
Each year the Center recognizes individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to the humanization of LGBT people and promoted diversity while combating homophobia. This is done with two award categories: the Human First Award for individuals and the Community Spirit Award for organizations.
The 2011 Human First Award was issued jointly to Abby O'Neil and her husband, Carroll Joynes, as well as David Halverson. While, the 2011 Community Spirit Award was shared by the Chicago History Museum and Exelon. The awardees were treated to an enthusiastic standing ovation and cheers from friends and family in the crowd.
David Halverson, an awardee and activist with the Center back when it was named Horizons, said, "All LGBT persons will continue to come out and as part of that go through a process of self-discovery and the Center will be there to play a role in that process."
However, before the crowd was brought to its feet, Wanda Sykes had them rolling in the aisles. Jojo Austien, an ambassador for the SAGE department who volunteers 62 hours per month at the Center, said, "The whole show was excellent. She was hilarious." When pushed to choose a favorite part Austien said, "When her wife took her to a hotel for a night as a surprise and packed her overnight things for her." Part of the punch line was, "I'm 47 years old, I need to pack two extra pairs of panties ( not one ) ... What if I sneeze?"
Linda Eder rounded out the evening and wowed the crowd with her amazing voice and diverse repertoire. She sang originals as well as cover tunes of jazz, pop, country and Broadway songs that kept the crowd engaged through her final note.
Text by Mel Ferrand; photos by Kat Fitzgerald ( MysticImagesPhotography.com )