School is almost in session — and Pulse Events is showing its school spirit with a fundraising event later this month.
Pulse’s “Show Your College Pride” will be held 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Aug. 29 at Smokin’ Betty’s, 116 S. 11th St. Partygoers are encouraged to sport gear from their college — a shirt, hat or any other article bearing the school name or logo — and Pulse will donate all proceeds from the event to the LGBT groups at the three schools that attract the most supporters.
Pulse marketing coordinator Tracy Buchholz, a Temple grad, said organizers believe the party is the first of its kind to fundraise for local LGBT college groups.
“A lot of local schools have student-run programs for LGBTQ students that are doing amazing things so we thought it would be cool to both highlight those and be able to give back to them,” she said. “It’s really a way for Pulse to say thank you to the amazing youth running these organizations on top of their studies and extracurricular activities and to show that we as an LGBTQ community appreciate the work they do. I think so often they can be forgotten, and really, they will be the future leaders of our LGBTQ community after they graduate. It’s never too early to show support for these students.”
Partiers don’t need to have graduated from a college to rep them, Buchholz noted.
She anticipated the party will draw a good mix, across gender and age lines, which supports another of the event’s intents.
“One of the cool things is that people from all different circles will be able to interact,” she said. “We have a lot of mentors in the community and the younger crowd often may not know how to interact with them. So if you have a student wearing a Penn shirt and an older person who went to Penn, that’s a great opportunity for people to interact and to start talking.”
Pulse has hosted successful fundraising events in the past, including for local animal charities, and Buchholz expects the timing of the party — near the start of the school year and before the Labor Day weekend exodus — to fuel support. If it’s a success, organizers plan to make it a biannual event.
On top of the fundraising component, Buchholz said, partygoers can enjoy music by DJ KASH and Trish, drink specials until midnight and just a $5 cover.
“We have good music, a great, friendly crowd and it’s always an awesome vibe,” she said.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/141669416167392/. Any student or alumni groups wishing to distribute information at the event can email Buchholz at [email protected].