The Tampa Garden Club along Bayshore Boulevard was transformed on Sept. 14 in to an icy palace, but the temperatures stayed plenty warm as 150-plus people celebrated Metro Tampa Bay’s 20th anniversary.
The gala, which also served as a fundraiser for the organization’s HIV/AIDS services and LGBT outreach programs, was themed “Fire & Ice” and the blue and white decor by Concept Bait hammered home the theme while a fire dancer welcomed guests outside the Garden Club’s doors.
Several special guests spoke to the audience, including Rep. Kathy Castor who talked about the importance of equality on a national level, as well as LGBT-specifics related to the Affordable Healthcare Act. Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner also spoke.
“Congratulations to Metro for two decades of amazing service,” he said from the stage. “It’s organizations like these that have helped keep those living with HIV and AIDS healthy and have made the services necessary available to them all throughout Tampa Bay. For that we thank you.”
The gala was a first for Metro, which has held other fundraisers in the past. The gala is a way to celebrate the organization’s successes, explained Lorraine Langlois, its executive director.
“The people, our staff, and our mission at Metro has kept us successful,” Langlois said. “Our work isn’t done. HIV education and prevention is still needed and a whole new generation needs to be educated. That’s what we do. That’s why we’re funded.
“We’ve always wanted to have a signature event. What we didn’t have was the resources to put it on.”
Special guests Jack Mackenroth, a New York designer who made it big on Season 4 of Project Runway, and lesbian comic Karen Williams both addressed HIV and Metro’s success.
“I was diagnosed HIV positive in 1989,” Mackenroth told the audience. “I was told I only had a few years to live. It’s organizations like this that keep us alive and keep the fight against this disease alive.”
While on Project Runway, Mackenroth revealed his HIV status, making him the first positive reality star on television.
Williams addressed things a bit differently, using her comic timing to discuss the differences between gay men and lesbians (it has to do with poetry) and the importance of giving to Metro Tampa Bay (because, she joked, she hadn’t seen her check yet).
The Metro Tampa Bay Gala could become an annual event, organizers said, but whether the 2014 celebration will be in September is yet to be determined.
For more information on Metro, visit MetroTampaBay.org.
Photos by Steve Blanchard.
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