ARCHIVES

ARCHIVES

SYVUHS Gay-Straight Alliance club honored

Buy this photo now
From left, back row, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Gay-Straight Alliance club members Nora McKinnon, Cecilia McKinnon, Arielle White, Sophia Lane, Paul Bowman and from left, front row, Kristen Lozano, Emily Kelley, Robert Younger and Dan Lyon pose at the Pacific Pride Foundation’s 15th annual AIDS walk in Santa Barbara on Saturday. Contributed

For the Valley News

In its first year at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, the Gay-Straight Alliance club has made its presence felt in the community. Starting with the group’s initial splash on campus last spring with the “Day of Silence,” the GSA has raised over $2,000 for groups such as Doctors Without Borders, The Sarah House and the Pacific Pride Foundation, which honored them this past Saturday along with Rep. Lois Capps following PPF’s 15th annual AIDS walk in Santa Barbara.

The brainchild of club officers Arielle White, Sophia Lane and Nora McKinnon, the GSA was intended as a way to bring together disparate groups on campus in a safe and friendly environment and to raise funds for organizations that give assistance to underprivileged or underrepresented groups experiencing the effects of violence or health crises.

Saturday’s participation in the AIDS walk started out as a way for the group to do something together that was fun and makes a difference. The group’s officers held several planning meetings in which they coordinated efforts to hustle pledges, organize carpools to the event and create their own T-shirts, custom drawn with rainbows and symbols of gender diversity. In all they raised over $1,100 for Pacific Pride, which uses the money in a variety of programs that service HIV/AIDS programs and patients.

Their efforts were rewarded when, to their surprise, they were named “Most Inspirational Team” at the awards ceremony following the 6.5 mile walk.

Rep. Lois Capps also singled out the group, praising their efforts and commitment in her remarks at the close of the ceremony. GSA Faculty advisor Jeff McKinnon praised the group’s efforts, but also Pacific Pride’s.

“It was a wonderful event, fun, well organized, and deeply moving. I want to thank Pacific Pride for honoring our students, for helping them recognize what a difference they are making in the community,” McKinnon said.

The GSA also has made the first cut in Fund for Santa Barbara’s grant-funding cycle, earning a site visit and interview on October 18. Officers and members will be interviewed and asked to discuss the group’s mission, accomplishments, and future events such as the upcoming “Ally Week” event they will be sponsoring on campus.