ABOVE: “Drive ‘N Drag Saves Christmas,” photo via Voss Events.
TAMPA BAY | Socially-distanced gatherings led by or for the LGBTQ community will mark the holiday season this December.
Fundraisers will begin Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at Punky’s Bar and Grill in St. Petersburg with the first part of entertainer Kori Stevens’ annual Toys for Toys benefit. She’ll be joined by hostess Georgia Moore to collect gifts and funds for less-fortunate children during Bingo, with a $10 suggested donation to play.
Stevens will host a second Bingo Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at St. Petersburg’s Buffalo City Bar & Grill. Participants are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys and to participate in a 50/50 raffle at each, all benefiting the Toys for Tots Foundation.
The entertainer has long organized drives benefiting the organization’s Tampa chapter, which last year distributed more than 55,000 toys to 17,489 local children. A turnabout fundraiser will close out her efforts Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. at Bradley’s on 7th in Ybor, featuring bartenders from the popular establishment and fellow LGBTQ hotspots Honey Pot and Southern Nights Tampa.
“Helping people is part of my purpose,” Stevens told Watermark after her ninth year. “Hopefully it will continue to influence others to help where they can as well.” Read more:
A toy drive for the special needs community will also be held Dec. 13 at Hamburger Mary’s Clearwater from 3-6 p.m., with a $10 door donation. Presented by the newly-formed Simply the Best Community Pageant, the gathering will feature auctions, raffles and a wide array of entertainment.
Organizers hope to raise $5,000 for The Movement School, which offers physical, occupational and speech therapy among other services. Learn more about the fundraiser below via Facebook.
A number of entertainment options are also coming to Tampa Bay, including the high-profile “Drive ‘N Drag Saves Christmas.” Voss Events will hold four performances of the touring production at Westfield Brandon Dec. 4-5 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. each night.
The drive-in experience is hosted by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Bianca “Scrooge” Del Rio. It co-stars fellow series veterans Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Kameron Michaels, Naomi Smalls, Plastique Tiara and Violet Chachki.
“In this magical new immersive experience, Scrooge hates Christmas and intends to destroy it,” its description reads. “It is up to the queens of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ to school the old miserly curmudgeon and convince her it’s time to be merry, Mary!”
Prices begin at $69 and VIP experiences are available.
“We’re excited to spread cheers and queers throughout Florida and Texas this season,” Producer Brian Voss says. “Our wildly popular drive-in productions haven proven the drag show must go on even through a pandemic. ‘Drive ‘N Drag Saves Christmas’ has been adapted to be even more interactive than previous productions, lighting up parking lots with a new kind of Christmas magic.”
For more information about attending or donating the holiday fundraisers above, visit Facebook.com/Kori.Stevens and Facebook.com/STBCP2020. To purchase tickets or for more details about “Drive ‘N Drag,” visit VossEvents.com.
