Hetrick-Martin celebrates 30 years with awards gala

When The Hetrick-Martin Institute (America's oldest and largest LGBTQ youth service agency) holds its annual Emery Awards on November 10, the night will be filled with all the usual celebratory hoopla and celebrity attendees.

The fabulous roster currently features host Kimora Lee Simmons and appearances by Cory Booker, Rosie O'Donnell, Dustin Lance Black and Cleve Jones. There will be a special tribute to Harvey Milk, and newly reelected Mayor Bloomberg will show up to accept an Emery. Also honored with an award will be Dr. Joyce Hunter, co-founder of the Harvey Milk High School.

But the real star of the show promises to be the Institute itself - which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Although its doors are not in imminent danger of closing, the Institute is, like many non-profits, struggling to meet financial goals amidst a faltering economy and potential patrons emotionally exhausted (and financially drained) from the toll of recent political campaigns.

We’ve survived

EDGE spoke with HMI's executive director Thomas Krever about the fundraising event and the challenges faced by an organization which, although it's hit the big 3-0, shows no signs of getting old, slowing down or becoming burdened by noticeable wrinkles.

Krever says that calling attention to HMI's 30th Anniversary at year's Emory Awards ceremony is "for us, significant. Part of the whole message is we've survived - that we continue to provide services to LGBTQ youth from over 200 zip codes from throughout the tri state area each year."

Of late, making sure those services continue, unaffected, has meant cutting back on staff and administrative concerns. Krever says that "The last year has hit LGBGT organizations hard"-noting that many individual donors who keep HMI afloat have spent their discretionary income over the past eighteen months on everything from helping get Obama elected to fighting same sex marriage ballot initiatives such as Proposition 8. Krever: "Historically speaking, non profits take a hit every four years as people give to local, state and federal election campaigns."

As a result, during what should have been a hassle-free, celebratory year #30, HMI found themselves "laying off over twenty percent of our staff. We have not yet been able to hire them back."

That's why, Krever says, this year's Emory Awards "take on particular significance. The funds we raise from this event provide us with general operating support for things that grants won't cover; things like staff and infrastructure. "Public funding and grants tend to not pay for your administrative stuff; your fiscal managers, your IT and HR people - all the critical personnel that make an agency run, but aren't attractive to funding."

Krever hopes, then, that the Emery Awards will rake in over a million dollars this year. To that end, he also hopes the seats will be filled by more than just those important corporate suits. It's the individual LGBTQ citizens and their friends who make the difference - not just by purchasing a seat at the event, but by learning what HMI does and becoming an ambassador for the good cause all year long.

Krever: "It's incredibly important to have individuals support us, and the impact of their help is difficult to just measure in dollars and sense. HMI pays zero dollars for outreach, yet we see more LGBTQ young people than any community organization in the country. Good news travels fast. Those indivuals who will be at this event, each one becomes not just a donor opportunity, but a person who will help us raise awareness."

The gala at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall Street, begins with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m., and the program and dinner at 7:00 p.m., followed by an after party with DJ Lina spinning music. There will also be a live auction to benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute and its various initiatives.

For information about purchasing tickets or tables to the Gala benefit, please call Jude Domski at 212-674-2600, ext. 265, or email [email protected]. For more information, visit www.hmi.org. If you're unable to attend the Awards, there's an after party from 9:30pm to Midnight. Tickets for that event are $50.