Regina celebrities ready to shantay and slay in fundraiser for LGBTQ2S+ youth shelter
Some of Regina’s best-known personalities are raising money for “Walk the Walk,”a celebrity drag show and fundraiser for Regina’s LGBTQ2S+ youth.
The event will feature 12 local celebrities, including Mayor Sandra Masters, Morgan Campbell, anchor of CTV News Regina at 6 and Trent Wotherspoon, MLA for Regina Rosemont. All participants are tasked with raising money for Lulu’s Lodge, a transitional youth shelter for LGBTQ2S+ youth.
“Forty per cent of all homelessness is part of my community, the LGBTQ2S community. So there’s a high need for a home such as this,” said Terry Van Mackelberg, also known by his drag personal, Flo Mingo.
The goal is to raise $100,000 to pay off a portion of the house purchased by Lulu’s Lodge last year. According to the John Howard Society, which runs the lodge, the funds would offer the chance to be more be lenient with rent when individuals are transitioning to different housing placements or income sources.
“Homelessness is an issue for the community, as is underemployment,” Mayor Sandra Masters said. “So, when you get offered the chance to participate in something so fun, and the ability to raise money to assist with this housing, it seems natural.”
Celebrity participants were required to raise a minimum of $1,000 to enter the competition, while $2,000 raised affords participants a local drag mentor. Celebrities who raise $5,000 will be able to perform alongside their drag mentor and $10,000 raised buys them out of the competition.
“I think it’s very important for our community leaders to show that we care about these things and we want to make our city a more welcome and inclusive place,” said Tina Beaudry-Mellor, who currently leads in funds raised.
Van Mackelberg, who organized the event, is set to perform alongside the slate of celebrities in full drag.
“It’s very elegant, extravaganza I call it,” he said. “So very over the top. We’re going to have your regular drag performances, people who do this for a profession, but we’re going to have some newbies out there, and I’m excited to see what they’re going to bring to the table.”
The sold-out event will take place on Aug. 28 at the Ramada Plaza, but the event can be supported through online donations to the celebrity participants.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.