What a wonderful event for the community -- over 120 people attended the event honoring the award winners along with State Senator Daylin Leach - who has just introduced a marriage equality bill in PA.
PDN thanks the award winner, the attendees, the sponsors and auction donors (see lists below). PDN also thanks Jazz Singer Roberta Meek for a wonderful performance during the reception and the Brew Works staff and owners for a smooth and fun event in every way.

Award Winners:

Individual Awards:
Brian Marks -- for long time community dedication, activism, and fundraising
Jerry Schmidt -- for long time community dedication, activism, and fundraising

Organization Awards:
Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley
Reading Pride Celebration
Kutztown School System

Business Awards
Allentown Brew Works
American Hairlines

Read more about the award winners below:
To see a huge album of 150 photos of this event Click Here


Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski Chair of PA Human Relations Commission Stephen Glassman


PA State Senator Daylin Leach Jazz Singer Roberta Meek


Individual Award Winners Daylin Jerry Schmidt Brian Marks - both with PDN Boardmember Adrian Shanker


Business Award Winners The Brew Works and American Hairlines
PDN Boardmember Amy Smart with Mike Fegley of the Brew Works
American Hairlines representatives Lauren DeLeonardis and Amy Mirandoli



Organization Winners Metropolitan Community Church, Reading Pride Celebration,
Kutztown Area School District
(Above) MCCLV members with speaker Robbie Schotter holding award and Rev. Beth Goudy


(Left) Rich Spangler Pres. of Reading Pride Celebration
(Right) Principal of Kutztown Middle School John Browne (holding award)
and Hallie Schumacher – Guidance Counselor , (center) speaker.



Eastern PA PFLAG Pres. Don Kohn surprises
PDN Executive Director Liz Bradbury and PDN President Patricia Sullivan
with a beautiful award sculpture by artist Rafael Canizares

To see a huge album of
150 photos of this event
Click Here

PDN thanks the award winners, sponsors and donors (see list below), elected officials, and attendees who supported this event!

SPONSORS and DONORS
Express Business Service
Allentown Women’s Center
Partnership for a Tobacco Free Northeast PA
Mr. Joe’s Chimney Sweep -- Dawn McDermott
Boudica Publishing
Charles Versaggi
William Sanders & Jason Sizemore
Dr. Gwen Greenberg
Amy Smart , Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor
Democratic Nominee for Allentown City Council --Ray O’Connell
Allentown City Councilman Mike D’Amore
Allentown City Council Democratic Nominee -- Mike Schlossberg
Yvonne Frey-Oppenheimer

Many Thanks to these Basket Raffle and Silent Auction Donors
Woodbury-Schmidt Soaps, Cynthia Rodriguez, Dawn McDermott, Mr. Joe’s Chimney Sweep, Raphael Canizares, Marc Freligh-Princess House, Earl Snyder, The Organic Mattress Store, Jeff Faller, Allentown Art Museum, Rainbow Players, Civic Theatre, Panera Bread, Whitman’s Cheese, Colonial House, Cold Nose Lodge, Tom Florio - Kneading Hands Massage, Jai Yoga, Rainbow Mountain Resort, Susan Maurer, Esq., Liz Bradbury & Patricia Sullivan, Kerry Merrit - Handy Man, Dorney Park, 24/7 Fitness

And these elected officials who provided letters and documents of congratulations to the award winners:
US Senator Arlen Specter
PA State Senator Pat Browne
PA State Represetnative Jennifer Mann
Allentown City Councilman Peter Schweyer

And
Mayor Ed Pawlowski for a City Proclamation for the event
PA Human Relations Commission Chair Stepehn Glassman for speaking and bringing greetings from Gov. Ed Rendell

Individual Awards
Brian Marks is recognized for long time community dedication, activism, organizing, and fundraising for many local community groups particularly including FACT (Fighting AIDS Continually Together) in all FACT's year round events especially including the annual Summer Games at Rainbow Mountain Resort, and Lehigh Valley Gay Men's Chorus as part of the chorus and as an organizer and fundraiser.
PA Diversity Network would like to note Brian’s wonderful involvement and help organizing the recent Karaoke event at Diamonz that was put on by and benefitted The Lehigh Valley Gay Men’s Chorus, FACT and PA Diversity Network.

Jerry Schmidt is recognized for long time community dedication, activism, awareness, and fundraising for many GLBT groups in the community with a focus on everything from the arts, with his Enigma Players Company and a long history of comedy and drag performer show events presented to the community for fundraising, entertainment, and awareness, to political activism by focusing on informational and educational themes.
PA Diversity Network would especially like to thank Jerry for the terrific Illusions of Grandeur Show at Rainbow Mt. that benefited PDN.



Business Awards
Allentown Brew Works is recognized for significant support of GLBT community organizations and groups through open and generous outreach and help with a year round schedule of local GLBT advocacy organization's community events and as well as Brew Work's own events for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender and Allied community.


American Hairlines is recognized for many years of out and open support of local GLBT community organizations raising tens of thousands of dollars for these groups over the years. These events have included nearly every advocacy group in the community including, but not limited to: Pride, The Lehigh Valley Gay Men's Chorus, FACT (Fighting Aids Continuously Together,) Gaydar Magazine, and PA Diversity Network.




Organization Awards
Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley is recognized for many years of commitment to the spiritual health and welfare of the GLBT community and for outreach and advocacy in support of full equality for the GLBT community through such diverse programs as the Freedom to Marry actions and celebrations, the Rainbow Players Theater Company, Helping Hands Ministry that supports local and national causes like Adopt an Apartment at the 6th Street Shelter and the Appalachian Program which sends project workers to that region.
MCCLV a group of people who are always there to support the community, outreach, advocate, speak out and do the right thing.



Reading Pride Celebration is recognized for extraordinary grassroots work to create and present a yearly pride celebration in Reading, PA that reaches and strengthens the GLBT community by providing a huge and wonderful forum for all groups and people to meet and share information at both the festival in July and year round at fundraising and awareness raising events. Reading Pride has grown in the last three years to become the major GLBT force in Berks County. Thousand have attended the Reading Pride events in the last three years when before that people had now community place to gather and celebrate. -



Kutztown Area School District is recognized for excellent efforts toward inclusion of GLBT families and support of youth both in policy and specific and creative anti-bullying and diversity inclusion programming at both Kutztown Elementary School and Kutztown Middle School. I just want to read you a bit from the very thoughtful and sincere nomination of Kutztown School District by a dad of kids attending those schools - Wayne Hopkins:

Our diversity hasn't just been tolerated by every staff member of the district; instead we have found unbelievable levels of appreciation and even celebration for the uniqueness our family has brought to the community.

The district has an outstanding program for the prevention of bullying and... The staff has shown that when you role model the right behaviors children will follow the lead.

When Mothers Day came last month Chad's 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Shannon Langer really went above and beyond in recognizing the opportunity to making the day more inclusive for Chad. All the kids were making Mother's Day gifts to celebrate the special day, so Mrs. Langer decided to change the theme just a little bit and title the gifts as Parent's Day gifts instead. Mrs. Langer's thoughtful improvisation allowed Chad to participate on an equal level with the other kids in the class. He was so happy when he came home with his Parents Day gifts and he told us how much he appreciated Mrs. Langer's help.

The message of acceptance for the LGBT community is constant in the Middle School as well. A permanent tribute to the life and work of Kutztown native, and internationally know artist, the late and openly gay Keith Haring is on display for all the kids to see near the Middle School cafeteria.