CHERRY History

Remember when? Check out an online exhibit of past CHERRY posters.

As we approach a decade of service, we would like to take this time to share with you the proud history and events that comprise the largest dance benefit produced entirely by volunteers with all proceeds benefiting worthy service organizations in the gay and lesbian community.

Cherry began several years ago when a group of local residents got together and planned a charity fundraiser. Using modest financial resources, the all-volunteer organization known as Friends Being Friends banded together to put on a weekend of music, dance and celebration. Several other Cherry events would follow, each increasingly better attended than the last. The popularity of these fundraisers inspired the idea that Washington was ready for a yearly charity event on the level of those held annually on Fire Island or in Miami. After the third Cherry, which was produced by Moody Mustafa�s Metropolis Fund, a new group formed to take over the reins of the event. The new organization, christened �The Cherry Fund,� institutionalized the annual fundraising effort, evolving into a year-round grant making organization while building a brand name that people around the country could identify.

This spring, Cherry is charging towards its decade mark with a renewed spirit. From its humble roots, The Cherry Fund has grown to rival other, longer tenured and more established fundraisers. With each passing year, our renowned events are defined by their superior production, and striking settings, while showcasing world-class talent. At the heart of this all remains a dedication to the GLBT community and the organizations which serve them. Cherry honors the memory of our predecessors as we rededicate ourselves to celebratory spirit of all things Cherry.

CHERRY is Community

Here is just a sample of who and how much we have given since The Cherry Fund was incorporated in 1999:

• Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute - $214,500
• Whitman-Walker Clinic - $110,000
• The Center - Home for GLBT in Metro DC - $85,000
• Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League - $50,000
• Mautner Project, the National Lesbian Health Organization - $40,000
• Food & Friends - $32,000
• DC CARE Consortium - $25,000
• Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation - $20,000
• Washington Renegades - $6,500
• DC Aquatics - $6,000
• Delta Lambda Phi - $4,500
• Metro TeenAIDS - $2,500
• DC Wetskins - $2,000
• Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - $1,750
• Church of the Pilgrim - $500

The Cherry Fund has provided tickets and passes to the silent auctions and raffles of the following organizations:

• Asian and Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA)
• Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL)
• Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN)
• Spin4Youth (A Fund Raiser for Youth Pride Day & Metro TeenAIDS)

The Cherry Fund has also partnered with the following organizations:

• Human Rights Campaign (Community Partner for HRC's Betty Rules Fund Raiser)
• One in Ten (Community Partner for the Reel Affirmations Film Festival)

CHERRY is brought to you by The Cherry Fund . PO Box 53169 . Washington, DC 20009 . info@cherryfund.org. The Cherry Fund has raised $840,000 for local and national gay and lesbian beneficiaries that play an important role in our community. Click here for more details on CHERRY 9. Photography and graphic design by chad-wick.com. The Cherry Fund is a DC non-profit organization tax ID #52-2139599.
Copyright © 2005 The Cherry Fund. All Rights Reserved.