Approximately 360 people turned out Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Wyndham Emerald Plaza Hotel for the crowning of the Imperial Court de San Diego’s Emperor and Empress XXXIII, Chris Horton and Lala Too, who ran unopposed this year. After their election, the titleholders spend the next year fundraising for various charities and representing the Imperial Court de San Diego across the country.

The annual event also honors community activists with “royal titles”. This year’s honorees were Shawn Ingram, director of development at The Center, who received the title “Sir”; Pat Washington, president of the San Diego chapter of the National Organization for Women, who received the title “Lady”; and longtime activist Eduardo Moncada, who received the title “Golden Eagle Crown Prince”.

Priority Pharmacy and Bacchus House shared the Mrs. Alma Rosa Vasic Business of the Year Award. Jess San Roque, executive director of APICAP, received the Queen Eddie Memorial Award for “outstanding humanitarianism”; Linda Childers, president of the Imperial Court de San Diego, received the Empress Tawny Tann Award; and Benjamin F. Dillingham received the President’s Award and the title “Crown Prince for Life”.

Recipients of the 2004 Nicole Murray-Ramirez Student Scholarship were also announced: Benjamin Cartwright, Brian Schaefer, Chilan Ta, Rene Schneeberger, Cynthia Delgado and Christopher Ward.

Along with the scholarship fund, the Imperial Court de San Diego’s charities include the Benjamin F. Dillingham III Community Grant, which provides money to community members and organizations in need; the Tijuana AIDS Fund/Blanket Drive, which provides assistance to HIV/AIDS service agencies in Tijuana and blankets to the poor and elderly; the Toni Atkins Lesbian Health Fund, which provides financial assistance to lesbian, bisexual and transgender women in need of mammograms, cancer checks and other medical care; the GLBT Community Easter Egg Hunt, an annual event where businesses donate toys and gift baskets, and an Easter egg hunt is held for GLBT and GLBT-friendly families; Toys for Kids, the Imperial Court’s annual holiday toy drive; and the Queen Eddie Youth Fund, established to provide assistance to San Diego youth ages 13 to 18 for education-related expenses, books, supplies and clothing.

The reign of Emperor XXXII Robi Cox and Empress XXXII Cristina Monet raised over $85,000 for charity.

Agencies that received Imperial Court grants this year included: The Center, the Alano Club, APICAP, Bienestar, the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego, the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, the GLBT Vote 2004 registration drive, Equality California, AVER, Ebony Pride, Cheer San Diego, the Michael Portantino Foundation, Victory Foundation, Something Special Food Pantry, SLDN and the Tijuana AIDS Fund, which provided funeral assistance and cremation for eight deceased individuals whose families could not be located.