CHICAGO, IL ( April 03, 2018 ) — Center on Halsted is proud to announce that Grammy-Winning music legend Jody Watley is scheduled to perform live at the Center's gala on Saturday, April 21, 2018. IT TAKES OUR VILLAGE marks the 11thannual Human First Gala, and symbolizes the Center's deep commitment to bringing diverse individuals together as we build and empower 'our village'.
2018 Human First is honoring four outstanding civic leaders known for their important contributions to the LGBTQ movement. The Human First Award honorees include Marcia Lipetz, Victoria Raymont, Dr. Tom Klein and David Gitomer. The ACLU of Illinois is the recipient of the 2018 Community Spirit Award, and Executive Director Colleen K. Connell is accepting the honor on behalf of the ACLU.
Jody Watley will join the celebration with a performance that serves as an artistic statement of support for advancing the health and well-being of Chicago's LGBTQ community. Noteworthy long-term supporters of the Center and elected officials planning to attend include Michael and Cari Sacks, Laura Ricketts and Brooke Skinner Ricketts, Illinois Governor Candidate J.B. Pritzker, Illinois State Senator Heather Steans and Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney.
Is there a possibility Jody Watley will perform her 7 Top 10 Hits on the Billboard charts? Or a special rendition of Cole Porter's "After You, Who?" - the iconic song from the Red Hot + Blue album, heralded as one of the first major international AIDS benefits in the music industry. Jody is known for living her life mantra "Humanity is love" and we are thrilled she joins us in her hometown of Chicago to build a world where we are, above all, Human First.
Human First Gala & Performance
Saturday, April 21 2018
The Geraghty
2520 S. Hoyne
5:30PM: Cocktails & Reception
7:00PM: Awards, Dinner, Performance & Dancing
Event Information Link:
www.centeronhalsted.org/hf/ .
Honorees Bio & Photo Link:
www.centeronhalsted.org/hf/honorees/ .
Jody Watley Performance Link:
www.centeronhalsted.org/hf/performance/ .
ABOUT HUMAN FIRST
Center on Halsted's Human First Gala provides an opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate past accomplishments, while we look forward to the work ahead and continue to build a world where we are, above all, Human First. Each year Human First recognizes the contributions of individuals, businesses and other organizations to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community in Chicago.
ABOUT CENTER ON HALSTED
Center on Halsted is the most comprehensive community center in the Midwestern United States dedicated to building and strengthening the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer ( LGBTQ ) community. Impacting the lives of approximately 45,000 LGBTQ individuals a year, more than 1,400 community members of all ages walk through the doors every day to participate in the diverse public programs and social services. Center on Halsted offers youth and senior programming, behavior health services, HIV testing, anti-violence work, and educational programming including cooking and GED classes. For every dollar donated to Center on Halsted, nearly 75¢ are spent directly on providing these community programs and services. Additionally, thousands of individuals join us in basketball, volleyball, hockey, performance, art, and music. Center on Halsted is located in the heart of Chicago's Lakeview Neighborhood. For more information, visit www.centeronhalsted.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
