AIDS Fund – Waaaaay Off-Broadway GayBINGO

Well, I’m broke.

Again.

I’m in month two of paying off Sallie Mae, which means to stay sane and engaged in my community without paying any money my best bet is to volunteer.

I’m always enjoyed volunteering, it’s one of the most interesting things because it’s free to get involved in, you meet great people, and it’s always for a good cause.

This time it was with the AIDS Fund Philly GayBINGO. A monthly BINGO game raising money for AIDS/HIV education, prevention, and services at the  Gershman YMHA. Every month has a theme and this month was Broadway….well, it was more like go down Broadway seven blocks, take a right and cross the river into Jersey, Broadway.

The co-stars of the show: The BVDs. The BINGO Verifying Divas who entertain, including Ivana Tinkle, Eva Destruction, Julianne Fries, Thunder Showers, Summer Clearance, and Stella D’oro. 

Photo Credit

My jobs included setting up tables, food, and sorting condoms. Justintime came along to help me out, which is always fun.

My true calling? Blotters!

Next month is 16 Candles to celebrate the Sweet 16th anniversary of the event.

Tickets: $25 for Reserved Floor
$20 for Balcony

Location: Gershman Y (401 S. Broad)
Intersection of Broad & Pine
Center City, Philadelphia.

Time: Doors open at 6PM and games begin at 7PM.
GayBINGO! has a running time of about 2 hours.

Bust or Booty, or How I Spent My Money Last Night.

Last night in Conshy, I met with Jen and  Vera for Girls Night Out with a twist.  I went to a bachelor auction benefiting Janie Carbo & The Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Guppy’s. You can’t fail with beer and men, well…you know what I mean. Following the happy hour from 6-8 we met and mingled with the Bachelors. I was a little embarrassed…meeting men who would be auctioned….it was weird.  But Vera did know  some of them, so that helped AND Jen is just so up front to people, that was great as well.

When the auction started, we decided to max out our bid at $600 between all three of us.  I wanted to try for Marc, but Jim was in our price range. In these financial times, he was our economy package.

The auctioning was hot and heavy. I couldn’t believe people had that money to throw around. I thought $200 was a lot. But one girl upped the bids to $700 and $1000, it was insane.

Brian: Winning Bid: $1500. He matched that bid.

Anthony: Winning bid: $1000. Was glad it was over at the end of the night.

Jim: Took his shirt off to show the goods. Winning Bid $350

Marc: Literally sang and danced for his bid.

Butch: Winning Bid: $800, a portion of that was matched.

We bid on Jim, finally winning him at $350 between all of us.

Jim’s prize package was two tickets to a Philly’s game, dinner for two at Gypsy Saloon, and $100 gift certificate to Baggataway Tavern,  a local Conshy bar.  The plan is to split the prizes between us, I’m going to the Phillies game, Jen is going to dinner, and all four of us are going to the spend the $100 at the bar. I think that’s a good take away.

There was something about Brian though. A successful business person with a great personality and amazing smile….apparently an all around nice guy. I will use the word, “Dreamy” to describe him and I’ll note that I have brought up some pretty odd points to people lately. This may be one. But it’s not any worse than when I initially met Marc and Anthony.  I put my index on each of their dimpled chins and told them the origin of the dimples was God placing a finger upon their chins and saying, ‘You! Are perfect!”

I know. I know. I don’t know what I was thinking.

Additional fund-raising was the “Bust of Booty” for a sex basket, for $5 you could buy a ring of raffle tickets the length of your bust or booty. For men, it was length or width….of the chest.

24 tickets!

In the end, Jen won a Pure Romance sex basket, which she had Jim hold while we danced.  Technically we owned him.