Standing Room Only!

When you name an event something like “Standing Room Only,” you’d better make sure you can deliver on your promise. And the community of Salisbury, NC did just that at the first ever Standing Room Only Gala. The event raised over $222,000 (and counting!) in support of Broadway for Arts Education and the Terrie Hess Child Advocacy Center. It was also the launch of a new partnership between the two organizations that will bring BAE’s LGBTQIA+ inclusive curriculum to Rowan County, where resources are scarce for queer and trans youth.

Of the new programming, BAE’s executive director, Ben Houghton, remarked, “So many of the children we serve feel alone, feel like they are the only ones - whether it is because of abuse, neglect, or struggling with their sexuality or gender identity. The simple act of knowing you aren’t alone by having a community of support and connecting with representative role models can be life saving. The curriculum that we are excited to be bringing to Salisbury teaches young people to see their traditionally marginalized identities as assets instead of liabilities. Through performing arts, project management, and community service, they learn how to identify and proudly display their full and true selves.” This fall, program participants will learn all about the theater industry ecosystem. culminating in a trip to New York in December to work alongside peers and Broadway industry professionals to produce a staged reading of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart.

This event and subsequent programming would not have been possible without the incredible leadership and vision of Steve and Lina Drinkard and the event production prowess of Shari Graham and Hen Henderlite. We are forever grateful for their passion and commitment to supporting the healing and empowerment of young people in Rowan County and around the world!