20th Anniversary Wingspan Annual Benefit Dinner, September 20

The 2008 Wingspan Annual Benefit Dinner will be an evening of fun, reflection, and motivation as Wingspan celebrates 20 years of service to southern Arizona’s LGBT community. This remarkable event, September 20, 5:30 p.m., will bring together more than one thousand community members, as we remember the past and rally together for the future.

This year’s gala, themed “Looking Back, Moving Forward,” will take place in the Grand Lobby and Grand Ballroom of the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Avenue, and will feature a gourmet dinner, silent auction, live entertainment and more.

Helping celebrate this momentous occasion is keynote speaker Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, whose tragic death on October 12, 1998 challenged millions of individuals to eradicate hate. His murder was a wake-up call to the discrimination faced by our community and a call to action to demand change. As executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Judy tours the country speaking out against hate in all forms, making her a key figure in the LGBT civil rights movement.

You will have the opportunity to meet Judy in person as she mingles with our guests at a dessert reception in the Grand Lobby of the Tucson Convention Center. Also, famous local glass artist Tom Philabaum has created hand-blown, limited-edition glass centerpieces for the event, designed exclusively for Wingspan and numbered by the artist. Normally sold for more than $350, these will be available for $225, with proceeds to benefit Wingspan. You can preview the centerpieces online here.

Tickets are $125 individually, $1250 per table of 10, and are available now. Please call Erin Russ at (520) 624-1779 x115 to reserve your seats, tables or your Philabaum glass centerpieces.