The Dance for Equality Fundraiser for Pride Week will take place on Saturday, June 13, from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Club at Orange Lawn in South Orange.
Now in its third year, the Dance brings together more than 300 LGBTQ members and allies together to celebrate Pride in a fun, upscale atmosphere. The Club at Orange Lawn will be catering, with several buffet stations and multiple bars. VIP tickets to the dance include premium drinks. Other patrons will enjoy happy-hour pricing for cash/credit.
“Our Dance brings New York City club nightlife to the suburbs,” says event chair and board member Anthony DeSalis. “For those who love to dance, we have an amazing DJ spinning until 1 a.m. For those who don’t, we have a swanky lounge designed by our sponsor Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and other seating throughout the club, which provides an opportunity to relax with friends and enjoy the celebratory atmosphere.”
There are also amazing items available for auction, including:
- Broadway show and Tony-winning “Hand to God” package including two orchestra seats and backstage tour, including photo with the puppet.
- Two orchestra seats to Cyndi Lauper’s “Home for the Holidays” show with backstage passes to meet the pop icon in person.
- Two coach tickets to…anywhere JetBlue flies.
North Jersey Pride also launched a Silent Auction with high-end items including JetBlue tickets to any location, tickets and backstage passes to Cyndi Lauper concert, Crosby Stills & Nash signed guitar, Hand to God premium seats and backstage passes, plus premium seats to Kinky Boots, Chicago, Les Miserables, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and more. The auction will conclude at the Dance.
“This is our only fundraiser during Pride Week. The proceeds from the Dance and the auction, together with our corporate sponsorships, allow us to keep PrideFest free and open to the public. We’ve considered adding admission, as many other Prides have done, but it’s just not in line with our mission of inclusivity. That’s why we created the Dance for Equality, to invite our members who have the means to contribute to our mission and support the work we’re doing,” says C.J. Prince, executive director of North Jersey Pride.
Prince explains that the organization has had some questions about whether the Black & White Ball was also a fundraiser for Pride. “With the Ball, we were able to raise significant funds for Hetrick-Martin Institute’s after-school program for LGBTQ youth as well as our operating expenses throughout the year. The Dance for Equality is strictly for Pride Week and the Festival.”
Prince notes that attendance at the Festival has grown exponentially year over year. As the Festival has grown, so have expenses to keep it running. North Jersey Pride is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all ticket purchases are 80% tax-deductible.
For tickets: https://showclix.com/event/dance4equality
To bid on the auction: https://charityauctionorganizer.com/auction/dance4equality
