A handful of Surrey and White Rock community leaders are gearing up to 'drag' themselves onto stage for a good cause tomorrow (April 5), as participants in this year's 'So YOU Think YOU Can DRAG III' fundraising gala.
The sold-out event – set for 5:30 to 11 p.m. at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford (15269 104 Ave.) – is touted to be "a night filled with glamour, sass, and fierce competition," as five community leaders get dolled up to perform in drag for a chance to win matching funds of up to $5,000 for their charity of choice.
This year's competition lineup features White Rock Pride president Rob Christensen; Simon Fraser University executive director Steve Dooley; Surrey Board of Trade chair Rory Morgan; Kwantlen Polytechnic University director of equity, diversity and inclusion Trina Prince; and best-selling author Jeremy Cross.
In a performer bio, Christensen is described as the name to know "when it comes to community, inclusivity, and a touch of fabulousness." Performing at the gala as Rhoda Rooter, if Christensen wins – the crown will be determined through an audience vote – his prize money will benefit Uniti's 91-unit Harmony housing project in South Surrey.
"This isn't just about putting on a show," Christensen says in an email distributed by Uniti Thursday (April 4) to encourage donations. Harmony "will provide below-market rental homes to hose who need them most."
Dooley – a White Rock resident with vice-chair of Sources Foundation among a list of community involvement titles on his resumé – will hit the gala stage as Hell on Heels. According to his bio, Dooley became the second executive director of the SFU Surrey campus in November 2013, following more than 20 years at KPU. In addition to his connection with Sources, Dooley is co-chair of Community Based Research Canada and a member of the Surrey Local Immigration Partnership.
Morgan – a Surrey lawyer and mediator – is to rock the stage as Roxy Rolla, in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. He "believes our society is better when everyone is welcome, feels safe and is given an equal opportunity to contribute and participate," his bio states. A staunch supporter of Surrey's Rainbow community, Morgan chose BCCF as his charity benefactor as part of his continuing volunteer efforts to support cancer research in B.C., motivated by the loss of his father to cancer in 2017.
Prince chose Salal SVSC as their charity of choice, should their debut performance as Prince of Whales win the audience's favour. The EDI director, who "self identifies as a trans, non-binary, white, disabled, neurodivergent, fat person, with German and Polish ancestry" – and names orcas, dragons, Star Wars and comedy as among their greatest loves – is devoted to initiatives including supporting "2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy and celebration, reconciliation, decolonization, accessibility, mental health, sexual assault awareness, and ending gender-based violence," their bio states.
Langley-born Cross, who says he penned most of his recently released autobiography My Lost Life: The Fall to Addiction & Rise to Recovery while in prison, will take the stage as Jezza Creossfire to raise funds for Back on Track Recovery. According to his bio, Cross never thought he'd survive his battle with addiction; a disease that turned him into "something and someone I didn't know."
So YOU Think YOU Can DRAG III is hosted by M&M Productions, in partnership with Surrey Pride Society. Partial net proceeds are to benefit Surrey Pride.
