a special thanx to all!

The C.I.T.Y. x1 Youth Group presented their 5th annual "ThanXgiving Youth Social" on Saturday, December 17th at Plummer Park. This free event was held at Plummer Park and went from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. This was a social mixer created for LGBTQ Youth, ages 14-24, and their allies and was an alcohol-tobacco-free event. The evening consisted of a free catered dinner that featured turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, drinks, and dessert. Other attractions throughout the 3-hour event showcased 2 live youth performances, raffles, free HIV Testing, and community resources. By the end of the evening, a total of 175 people had walked through the doors and attended the annual festivities.

 

"The smiles said it all! All of our hard work paid off and everyone had a great time...the smiles on people's faces told us that", said Carlos Sosa of the C.I.T.Y. x1 Youth Group. Sosa went on to say, "This annual event has become a staple of the Thanksgiving holiday and youth look forward to it every year because they know they're going to enjoy themselves."

 

The doors were scheduled to open at 6:00pm sharp; however, youth were lining up as early as 5:30pm to make sure that they grabbed their share of turkey. Those who did arrive early pitched in and volunteered their time by moving tables, putting up decorations, and folding Event Programs.

 

With music playing in the background, the event finally kicked off at 6:00pm and opened with a 30-minute mixer that allowed everyone to meet each other. The room quickly filled up with a culturally diverse crowd from all over Southern California; some even made the drive from Orange County just for this event. By 6:30pm, the food was ready to go and the line was nearly out the door. "This is amazing! This is our 5th year putting on the event and this is the best turnout we've ever gotten. I remember when we had a total of 25 people at our first event back in 2003" said C.I.T.Y. x1 member Brigitte.

 

Soon the youth at the event were joined by a special guest, City Councilmember Abbe Land. This was Mrs. Land's third-straight year attending the event. She then was invited to the podium to say a few words. Abbe welcomed everyone to the City of West Hollywood and to the ThanXgiving Youth Social. She also congratulated the youth of C.I.T.Y. x1 for their continued involvement in the community and for putting on this event every year.

 

CI.T.Y. x1 Youth Group rarely puts on an event with no youth performances, and this one was no different. A total of three entertainment attractions were presented. First up was a video presentation by LiveArts Group, a non-profit collaborative of professional artists, writers, producers, actors, and directors that house an afterschool program for underserved youth. A total of 6 videos created by LGBTQ youth (featuring songs by Rihanna, Jay Z, Ciara, and Beyonce) were received with cheers and applauses. Next up on the entertainment line-up was Albert Khasky, a local performer who performed 3 original songs from his 11-song record entitled See Yourself. Albert wrapped up his set by inviting everyone to check out his MySpace Music Page at MySpace.com/albertkhasky Khasky even sold a CD just minutes after performing. The last performer was Hope Havoc, who came down from the San Gabriel Valley for her performance (and rushed from her job right to the event!). Her acoustic set of 3 songs was well-received by her peers.

 

A sense of community was also present at this event, as 4 organizations were in attendance to provide resources for youth by hosting an outreach table. These consisted of AltaMed Health Services' HIV Prevention Department, the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Network, Bienestar, and USC's OutReach Group. Bienestar brought down their Mobile Testing Unit and offered free Rapid HIV Testing for all who were present. All organizations contributed raffle prizes that were given at the event.

 

Everyone in attendance was invited to the C.I.T.Y. x1 Youth Group's next event, the 4th annual "Egg Nogg Youth Social" on Saturday night, December 15th (also at Plummer Park). This free event will also serve as a holiday social mixer for LGBTQ youth and their allies.

 

The C.I.T.Y. x1 Youth Group is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to creating social events for LGBTQ youth and their allies. The group was founded in 2005 when several youth leaders in the community felt a need to creatively shake up the youth services scene. The 2007 Egg Nogg Youth Social will mark the group's 10th event since forming. All events are created free of charge and are offered as an alternative to the club scene. More information on the group, its calendar of activities, volunteer opportunities, and information on how the community can help out is available at the group's web site, www.cityx1.com

 

The C.I.T.Y x1 Youth Board would like to take a moment to the following individuals, organizations, and businesses for making our event possible this year: COMMUNITY PARTNERS AltaMed Bienestar Delta Lambda Phi National Social Fraternity Alpha Omicron Chapter Friends of Project 10 Inc. GSA Network USC WHPA 36 SPECIAL THANKS City of West Hollywood John Pettersen, II Joe Mannetti Tigran Sargisyan Gail Rolf Dr. Virginia Uribe Mayor Pro Tempore Jeffrey Prang Councilmember Abbe Land Fanny Garcia Thelma Barrios Galen Stoeber Vincent Vigil Jarod Wunneburger Virsil Mitchell MCCLA Diane Cary Marco Castro-Bojorquez Ryan Gierach Reverend Neil WeHoLife.org Plummer Park Staff

Check out the photos!