After a Two-Year Hiatus, GALA is Back!

For the first time since 2019, MenAlive - Orange County Gay Men’s Chorus will gather to celebrate their past, present, and future at “Harmony: Transitions” their annual fundraising gala.  Hosted by Nolet’s Spirits and Sponsored by Union Bank and US Bank at the beautiful Carl Nolet, Sr. Hospitality Center in Aliso Viejo, gala goers will enjoy a five-star experience with live entertainment, signature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a curated Nolet gin and vodka tasting, and a three-course dinner by Sundried Tomato Bistro.  All will have the opportunity to bid on items in the silent and live auctions, including a custom-built Fender guitar, original art, weekend getaways, a curated two week stay in Palm Springs during Halloween and Pride, and a week-long European river cruise.

Board President Mike Auchter is pleased to posthumously award the 2022 MenAlive Rich Cook Community Bridge Award to Mr. Al Roberts. Al was instrumental in the foundation of MenAlive and the AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County. Mr. Roberts summarized his work in an interview with the Los Angeles Times: “I think if people would start thinking about other people and doing things for other people, [they’d find] all of a sudden their own lives are better. When you do something for someone else, it makes you feel good. It’s just a good way to lead your life.”  Mr. Ken Jillson, Mr. Robert’s husband and creative partner, will accept the award.

Also recognized at the event will be Mr. G. C. Brad Brafford and Dr. Karyl Ketchum who were to be honored in 2020, but were not awarded publicly when the gala was postponed.

Brafford was one of the founders of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County (The Center OC), now named after him.  He has spent his life advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people. 

Professor Ketchum is currently active in a number of initiatives in the state and nationally that focus on education reform.  Her book, Gender Diversity and LGBTQ Inclusion in K-12 Schools (Routledge 2018), co-authored with Dr. Sharon Chappell and Lisa Richardson, is a critical first resource for educators interested in creating schools and classrooms that support and protect the rights of LGBTQ students, women students, and gender-non-conforming students and families.

Tickets are limited, but available at www.ocgmc.org/gala.