San Diego LGBT Pride presented a $30,000 check to the San Diego Foundation for Change at its annual awards dinner last month, raising its donation to twice the amount compared to last year.

“It just about knocked me to the floor,” said Foundation Executive Director Joni K. Craig. “Pride is the most generous ongoing funder of the foundation, and we appreciate their ongoing support.”

Since 1996, San Diego LGBT Pride has donated $143,000 to the foundation’s LGBT Pride Fund, which has benefited local grassroots organizations such as Ebony Pride, Family Matters, the Bisexual Forum and Nefratitti Network, among others.

Organizations seeking grant assistance from the foundation in 2005 must apply by March 15, and a grant-writing workshop in February will be held. For more information, call (619) 692-0527, or contact the Pride office at (619) 297-7683.

The Hillcrest Wind Ensemble, one of the oldest GLBT bands in the country, presents “A Holiday Potpourri” at 7:30 p.m. at The Center. Familiar holiday tunes will be featured. Tickets are $10 in advance (from band members or available at The Center) and $15 at the door. John Winkelman will conduct selections including “March of the Toys” (from Babes in Toyland), “Fantasia & Fugue” (Bach), “Christmas Sketches”, a rock/swing version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Sayonara” and “A Hanukkah Celebration”. Call (619) 692-2077 for more information.

The San Diego Men’s Chorus performs their annual holiday concert, “Come Home for the Holidays”, Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. at University Christian Church, located at 3900 Cleveland Ave. Tickets are $20.

Call the chorus office at (619) 296-SONG for more information.

The Center’s Women’s Resource Center is looking for volunteers to help with various aspects of running and shaping the programs, including clerical and reception duties, and dance, fitness and arts/crafts instructors. If you’re handy with a computer and don’t mind research and data entry, volunteers are needed for miscellaneous administrative duties, as is anyone available to fill desk reception shifts; hours for both are flexible. If you’re good at arts and crafts, a talented dancer or educated in fitness, contact the resource center about being a class instructor. The resource center is looking to start workshops and regular classes in a variety of disciplines, including woodwork, knitting, wire art, sculpture, clay play, yoga, kickboxing, Pilates, martial arts and dance. Contact Claudia Lucero at (619) 692-2077 ext. 206 or clucero@thecentersd.org.

The Imperial Court de San Diego is launching their 28th annual Toys for Kids drive, the GLBT community’s oldest holiday toy drive. The drive was established in 1976, and later named Toy’s for Kids Drive after the Marines’ Toy Drive refused to accept any donations from the GLBT community. Last year, the Imperial Court de San Diego distributed over 1,200 toys to under-privileged children at San Diego and Tijuana nonprofit agencies and shelters. Kids and families from Barrio Logan Station, North County Health Services-Encinitas Chapter, Bienestar, Interfaith Shelter Network, American Red Cross, Clark Middle School, H-Town, ACOSIDA, Las Memorias AIDS Hospice, APICAP, YMCA, Mission Hills Health Care Center and various Tijuana orphanages all benefited from last year’s drive. Numerous drop-off locations are participating this year; participants are asked to donate a new, unwrapped toy.

The Toys for Kids drive culminates in an Imperial Court-sponsored holiday show entitled “Little Holiday Star” taking place at Numbers on Sunday, Dec. 12. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with appetizers; live entertainment and a holiday auction/raffle begins at 7:30 p.m.

Drop-off locations for new unwrapped toys include: The Center, Rainbow Road, Moby Dick’s, Brass Rail, The Hole, Flicks, Martinis Above Fourth, Bacchus House, The Caliph, Pecs, 6 Degrees, Hamburger Mary’s/Kickers, Bourbon Street, GSDBA, Numbers, #1 Fifth Ave., San Diego Eagle, Patti’s Bar, The Flame, Hairspray, Cheers, The Loft, Secrets Wig Design, SRO Lounge, Fox Channel 6, Grand Pacific Palisades Resorts and Schumacher Carlsbad.

For further information, call Emperor Noel and Empress Katrina Yen at (760) 550-8015 or Czar Nathan at (619) 298-6972.

A Cal State University San Bernardino master’s study seeks to understand how gay and lesbian parents are treated and perceived in their children’s schools. Gay and lesbian parents are still needed for the research study, which is anonymous. The study aims to understand the complexities that gays and lesbians experience as parents with children in the public or private school systems and to explore areas in which the current system does not meet their unique needs. The more responses they get, the better the data will be and the better the study can draw conclusions on how best to improve conditions for gay and lesbian parents.

Link to the brief online questionnaire via San Diego News Briefs at www.gaylesbiantimes.com, or call Dr. Brian Heisterkamp at (909) 880-7665.

HIV-positive youth are encouraged to attend the 12th annual Ryan White National Youth Conference on HIV and AIDS (RWNYC) in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 19-21. RWNYC is the only national conference dedicated to building the HIV prevention and advocacy skills of young people living with HIV, peer educators and activists, as well as adults who work in support of young people. Conference participants will attend workshops highlighting programs and intervention, providing comprehensive, youth appropriate services for those at risk for HIV and for those who are living with it. RWNYC is an opportunity to learn about what works, share challenges and successes, and network with others who seek to end the AIDS crisis for America’s youth.

The Positive Youth Institute is a daylong conference for HIV-positive youth on Feb. 18, the day before the conference begins. The institute is led by HIV-positive staff from the National Association of People with AIDS and is designed to build leadership and advocacy skills among young people living with HIV. The goals of the institute are to build a sense of self-awareness, to foster a connection with other HIV-positive young people and to lessen the feelings of isolation. There are no additional fees for RWNYC participants who attend the Positive Youth Institute. For more information, call (202) 898-0414.

On bingo nights, the doors of the auditorium at The Center open at 6:15 p.m. and the first game starts at 7:00 p.m. Admission for 10 games is $10 for a six-card game pad. Additional pads can be purchased for $5 each. Prizes for the first nine games are $50 and the last game played is $100.

There is also a Door Prize Dash, where 10 attendees can win non-cash prizes, from free bingo games to items donated by various bingo sponsor merchants in the community.

Bingo at The Center is an eight-year tradition. During that time, bingo has raised over $100,000 for The Center and its programs. Bingo would not be possible without the weekly dedication of bingo volunteers. Volunteer responsibilities include auditorium set-up, entrance sales, pull-tab sales, extra game/money ball sales, calling games, cafe duty, verifying winners, collecting winners’ signatures and delivering their prize money.

Call The Center at (619) 692-2077 ext. 247 for more information.