Gays and lesbians benefit from Chinook fund
It’s unfathomable that women didn’t ‘earn’ the right to vote in Alberta until 1916. What is even more shocking is that until 1969, homosexuality was considered a criminal offence under the Canadian Criminal Code.
We’ve come a long way, to be sure, yet discrimination still exists. Thankfully, there are organizations the likes of the Calgary Chinook Lesbian and Gay Fund — an endowment established to provide ongoing long-term funding of Calgary organizations deserving of — and in need of support. The fund supports charitable organizations providing services, programming, education and support for and about the LGBT community.
Grants have been awarded to myriad organizations including Outlink’s LGBT program — which assists recent immigrants and refugees arriving in Calgary as well as the funding of Gay Straight Alliances in local schools. Its signature fundraiser, The Chinook Dinner, was held this year Oct 19 at the Nash Restaurant. The sixth annual dinner was the most successful to date and was attended by more than 100 guests and raised an estimated $50,000. That the cost of the dinner was covered by main sponsors TD Bank Group and the East Village’s Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) ensured 100 per cent of guests’ donations were directed to the fund. Great camaraderie as well as the presentation of the Chinook Hero Award to Nancy Miller and Richard Gregory were the evening’s highlights.
Among the guests in attendance this night were: TD’s Kari Scarlett; ReMax’s Brian Mahoney; Michael Wright; Werklund School of Education professor and dean Dennis Sumara with Tim Friesen; John Bonnycastle; and Chinook Fund board members Christopher Post, Amy Skinner, Jason Hamilton, Gordon Sombrowski, Gary Courtney and Kelly Ernst.