Jodie Hanrahan, Director

Jodie Hanrahan is presently semi retired working with FEMA when national disasters occur and is one of those extreme couponers! Past experiences include commercial real-estate, and 28 years of owning/operating retail party stores. She has been actively involved in many volunteer projects Including Southerntier Pride, Juneteenth celebration, Safe Zone for schools, St Petersburg Pride and over 5 years with Hospice patients. She has two children and 8 grand children with the 9th on the way! Originally from upstate NY but presently calls Clearwater her home where she resides with her wonderful partner of 5 years and their faithful dog Sandi!

Ruth Velazquez, Director

Ruth graduated from nursing school in 1986 and worked in the critical care areas of various Pinellas county hospitals for 17 years. She went on to obtain her Master’s degree in Nursing in 1999 and worked as a nurse practitioner in adult heath for 2 years in various geriatric facilities also in this community. She has worked as a nursing instructor for St. Petersburg College for the last 11 years and gets much enjoyment from helping to influence the future of healthcare. Ruth has led organized bicycle rides for lesbians in the community for the last 5 years.  Ruth is excited to be a new board member and hopes to use her traits of compassion and respect to benefit the organization.  She lives with her partner of 4 years in Palm Harbor and their faithful cat, Keekers 2nd!

Catherine Wieczorek, Director

As a 3 time cancer survivor, Catherine looks forward to serving on the Board as an opportunity to give back to the community. She also brings extensive experience for fund raising for non-profits.

Susanne Abrahams, Director

Susanne is a oncology social worker and has logged more than 25 years working for hospice. She is a strong feminist and advocate for universal healthcare. She is dedicated to promoting outreach activities with members of racial ethnic lifestyle communities in our area.

Phyllis Plotnick, Director

Born in Philadelphia, Phyllis moved to Gulfport in 1983. She worked for many years as a physical therapist as well as a counselor in crisis intervention, rape crisis and family planning centers. She is particularly grateful to have has the opportunity to teach ballroom dancing in the Tampa Bay area to the LGBT community. From these classes, the Lady in Red and other dances had their beginnings. Phyllis is excited to now be on the board of an organization that has benefitted hundreds of women and that carries her mother’s name.

Lauren Penny,   Director

Lauren Penny has lived in Pinellas County since 1963.  She graduated from the University of Florida in 1977 with a BS degree.  Lauren has owned and operated L. R. Penny and Associates, a land surveying company since 1991.  She and Sandi Weeks have been married since 1991, and (o…m…g…) are still together.

Alice I. Hamp,       Director

Alice was born and raised in Michigan and spent many years living in northern Ohio. She is the proud mother of two children and grandmother to four grandsons. She recently retired from a position as a RN Case Manager Trainer for an insurance company working with Worker’s Compensation. After moving to Florida in 1980 she volunteered for the community by serving on the Board of Directors for MCC Tampa and Christ the Cornerstone for several  years.

Chicky has been a board member of the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund since 1998. She is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner who works with survivors of combat and sexual trauma. She has been a strong advocate for women’s health for the past two decades, including serving as president of the Pensacola Chapter of the National Organization for Women prior to her move to the Tampa Bay Area in 1995. Chicky will be retiring from the Board this June.

Mary Smith, Administrator

Mary brings to the board 30 plus years in health care as a retired Nurse and Massage Therapist. Mary also is a Reiki Master, and volunteers for Hospice doing Reiki and companion care. She is active in her condo community by serving on the Recreation Board for 5 years. She is enthusiastic in assisting women with their health care needs. Mary will be retiring from the board this June.

Lisa Cercek, Treasurer

Lisa has been a board member for seven years. She has served as Fund Administrator and Treasurer for the organization. Her business expertise has helped the Fund form relationships with health care providers in the Tampa Bay area. Lisa also raises money for the Fund and other charities through her “Roasts” throughout the year. Lisa will be retiring from the board this June.

The month of June marks the biggest transition in the history of the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund! Several members of the SPHF Board of Directors are retiring and the new Board is loaded with highly energetic and motivated women. Please send a big thank you to the SPHF board members who will be retiring this month.

Mary Smith has served as the Fund Administrator for the past two years and board member for three years.

Marla Spruill has volunteered for seven years prior to her election to the Board three years ago. She has been the Social Media Director and creative mind behind many of our events.

Jeni Kennedy served two years and was the Secretary for one year.

Lisa Cercek has served seven years on the SPHF Board including the positions of Fund Administrator and Treasurer.

Chicky Desmarais is retiring after sixteen years on the Board. She served as the Secretary for twelve years and the President for the past three years.

Please welcome and support the new SPHF Board of Directors!

Amanda David has been on the Board for less than one year and is moving from the Secretary position to her newly elected position as President.

Suzanne Abrahams and Catherine Wieczorek have been Directors for less than one year and will continue to serve in that capacity.

Jodie Hanrahan was elected as a Director in March.

Alice Hamp was also elected to a Director position in March and will be serving as the new Fund Administrator.

Lauren Penny was elected to the Board in March and will be the new Treasurer.

At the April meeting, Phyllis Plotnick was elected to the Board and will be serving as the new Secretary. Also elected to the Board in April, Ruthie Velazquez who is a nurse practitioner and will provide valuable information regarding medical issues in her role as Director.

WHAT DOES SPHF DO WITH THE FUNDS RAISED?

The mission of the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund has been to promote the wellness of women by honoring requests for financial assistance with both traditional and non-traditional health care. We are not a social club but do put on fundraising events in order to support this mission. All funds raised by or donated to the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund are awarded to women who apply for health care grants. The Fund has awarded over $170,000 since it was established for a variety of health care needs. Some of these include radiology, laboratory testing, EKG’s, ER visits, anesthesia, dental, hearing aids, surgery, mammograms, colonoscopies, cancer treatments, wheelchairs, and more.

TO DONATE OR APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE

Your donations to SPHF help our sisters in the community unable to afford their healthcare costs. To apply for a healthcare grant, please go to SPHF.ORG and click on the “Application for SPHF grant” link and apply via email. Donations or grant applications can be mailed to: SPHF PO Box 530606 St Pete 33747. We are a 501c3 organization and all donations are tax deductible. If you need a receipt, just let us know when you mail your donation to the address above.

We need more women who care about others and our community to serve on the all-volunteer Board of the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund. Please contact SPHF at SoniaPlotnick@Yahoo.com immediately. We welcome people with a wide range of talents. A background in business, grant writing, event planning, social media, web page design or the medical field is always welcome, but not necessary. A sincere desire to help others is a must!

SPHF also needs businesses and people like you to help generate funding through fundraising events, donations of goods or services, etc.

If you would like to put on an event for the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund, open your business to host a fundraiser, provide raffle prizes or other donations, contact SPHF by telephone at 727-482-0216 or to SoniaPlotnick@ yahoo.com.

For more information on the Fund’s history, events, mission, values and current board members, please visit us at SPHF.ORG.

A background in business or the medical field is always welcome, but not necessary.

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DJ K-Lee was spinning everyone’s favorite songs and, as the SPHF DJ for many years, the Board would like to thank her for the many wonderful dances she has been such an integral part of. We wish her the very best as she moves to California to pursue her dreams.

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In our second dance hall, DJ Gabe worked the crowd in a more intimate setting and kept them dancing through the night.

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The food was a huge hit as our volunteers organized the kitchen and food to put out a huge spread that everyone loved. Our volunteers also provided crucial assistance to the Board throughout the night to ensure the event ran smoothly.

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A very good friend of the Fund, singer-songwriter Lorna Bracewell, also delighted the crowd with a live performance and Phyllis Plotnick provided dance lessons to many that evening.

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The Sonia Plotnick Health Fund thanks everyone for their generous donations of time and talent as well as all of you who attended this splendid formal event in support of our primary mission: “To help women in the Tampa Bay area to pay for the healthcare they cannot afford.”

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At the conclusion of Phyllis’ speech she announced there is a woman in our community who wants to sponsor a dance for Valentine’s Day to be held February 15, 2014. Please bear in mind without a full Board of Directors, the proposed dance will not be organized or presented by the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund.

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The Fund, started in my mother’s name 16 years ago, was established to provide health care to women in need and to enhance a sense of lesbian community. Although I am not a member of the board, I am a huge believer in its work and the Fund’s importance to our community.

Because we are community, because we are family, I want to share some important news with you.
The Sonia Plotnick Health Fund’s mission of helping women with health care expenses remains relevant. The Fund has served hundreds of women by distributing thousands of dollars to women in the greater Tampa Bay area. I know my mother would be very proud. I certainly am.
This is a transition time for the SPHF Board. We have had an incredible group of women making up the Board over the past sixteen years. They have worked tirelessly for the Fund and our community. Several long-time Board members will be retiring very soon and to thrive, the Fund needs your help.
We are turning a corner, entering into a new chapter and invite you to come along with us to help guide and shape the direction of the Fund for the future.

We need more women to serve on the board of the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund.

Please contact SPHF at Soniaplotnickupdates@yahoo.com immediately. A background in business or the medical field is always welcome, but not necessary. A sincere desire to help others is a must!

For more information on the Fund’s history, events, mission, values and current board members, please visit us at SPHF.ORG.

TO DONATE OR APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE
Your donations to SPHF help our sisters in the community unable to afford their healthcare costs. To apply for assistance, please go to SPHF.ORG and click on the “Application for SPHF grant” link. Donations and applications can be mailed to: SPHF PO Box 530606 St Pete 33747. We are a 501c3 organization and all donations are tax deductible.

Click here to read about the SPHF Final ‘Lady in Red’ Sweetheart Dance

Thank-you for listening to the comments and suggestions from last year and addressing each and every one of those concerns.  You guys really pulled out all the stops.

The food was amazing.  The DJ was fantastic.  The private space was both welcoming and safe.  The additional bars cut down significantly on the wait time.

I really appreciate it.  And I’m sure whether you hear from other women or not, they did too.  I only heard positive comments all night.  And with that many people at an event that is really quite an accomplishment.

Sincerely,
C

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Tickets Prices are  $1 each  -  13 for $10   -  30 for $20

Tickets will be  available from roving SPHF Board members and at the Check in Table from 6pm til 10:30!

just a few of the prizes…. click the pictures for a larger view

there are several more…including a special Butchlesque Community Top Hat Basket and a little something from our sponsor Metro!

CLICK THE MAP FOR A LARGER VIEW

NEED DIRECTIONS TO THE LARGO COMMUNITY CENTER? CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDE SHOW OF THE LARGO COMMUNITY CENTER

Our beautiful new venue the Largo Community Center

SoniaPlotnickUpdates@Yahoo.com  before February 14th.

We’ll be picking out our own outfits after that date!

February 16 2013 Saturday 7pm to midnight will be an evening to remember…

Click the images for a larger view

Suggested attire

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What NOT to wear…

Thank you in advance!

Click the images for a larger view

For the 2013 dance, WE HAVE OBTAINED EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE ENTIRE 30,000 sq ft LARGO COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE EVENING!                            You and hundreds of your best friends will have room to roam…!

2 DJ’s! ~ 2 Dances!  ~  Traditional and High Energy Club Mix, Enjoy BOTH all evening!  ~ 5 Cash Bars ~ Hourly Raffle Prize drawings  ~  Free Coffee/Tea bar  ~  The Largo Community Center Entire Facility is ours for the evening! ~ 30,000  Square Feet of Dancing-Music-Food-and more!  There will be additional entertainment during the evening ~announcements coming soon…sign up for our FREE newsletter to be the first to know!

Ah what have we here…not one but two, 2! Backpack Beach Chairs. Just use the cool straps on the back and off you go!..and there is a storage pouch under the seat too!
Has everyone entered the email drawing to win admission for 2 to the dance? If you are the winner of the drawing, you could choose as your prize – 40 raffle tickets. If you would like to register just go to my page a sign up, but hurry . You only have until October 30

Signing On USF Marshall Theatre   6:30 – 9:30

An event for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Interpreting, and Hearing communities with a showing of the film “Signing On,” followed by a panel discussion with survivors from the Tampa Bay area. Various community stakeholders, such as the Susan G. Komen Suncoast chapter and Moffitt Cancer Center’s Diversity initiative will provide resources and information.

Or

40 Raffle tickets for the raffle drawings at the SPHF 5th Annual Fall Costume Party and Dance

Contest Rules below.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Saturday October  6 2012  Belleview Biltmore Golf club   Belleair florida 33756

open registration 7:00am

Mail checks and registration forms to

Bosom Buddies Forever

po box 254 bay pines fl 33744

contact Bosom buddies Forever for other sponsorship Opportunities 727-365-8729

When:                 NOVEMBER 3, 2012    7:00PM TO 11:00 PM

Where:                   NEW HAVEN CLUB HOUSE 1400 NEW HAVEN DR. LARGO, FL. 33771

Need Directions? CLICK HERE

COST:        $50.00 per person
Why:    EVENT TO BENEFIT THE SONIA PLOTNICK HEALTH FUND.

THIS YEAR IT IS A FORMAL AFFAIR TIES AND DRESSES.  NO JEANS OR SHORTS.
BRING YOUR BETTER HALF OR GUEST FOR A GREAT EVENING OF MUSIC FOR DANCING AND FUN.  A DJ WILL PLAY YOUR FAVORITE TUNES, THERE WILL BE GREAT FOOD AND AN OPEN BAR.  OF COURSE WE CAN’T FORGET THE RAFFLES, WITH AT LEAST 3 MAJOR PRIZES WORTH SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, PLUS OTHER PRIZES. YOU WILL RECEIVE ONE RAFFLE TICKET WITH YOUR ENTRY, OF COURSE, YOU MAY PURCHASE MORE TO BETTER YOUR CHANCES.

SO DRESS TO THE NINES AND COME JOIN ME FOR THIS GREAT EVENING OF FUN!

RESERVATIONS ARE PREFERRED FOR THIS GRAND EVENT. PLEASE RSVP TO THE SONIA PLOTNICK HEALTH FUND WITH YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER, E-MAIL AND A CHECK FOR  $50 PER PERSON MAILED TO THE ADDRESS BELOW ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 27, 2012.

SPHF
PO BOX 530606
ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33747

You will receive an e-mail confirmation. For those “last minute” people, cash or check will be accepted at the door if you call Lisa ahead.  Also if you have any questions please call Lisa at 727-804-9480.

THE SONIA PLOTICK HEALTH FUND, A 501 C3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. RECEIVE TAX CREDIT FOR YOUR DONATION.

IF YOU CAN NOT MAKE THIS EVENT AND WOULD LIKE TO DONATE IN SOME FASHION PLEASE CALL LISA OR MAIL DONATION TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS.

Register to win:

Admission for TWO to the SPHF 5th Annual Fall Costume Party and Dance

Or

40 Raffle tickets for the raffle drawings at the SPHF 5th Annual Fall Costume Party and Dance

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE DRAWING

contest rules below

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Keep up to date with future events by signing up for our FREE newsletter…click here

a few shots of the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund board members  in the 2012 St Petersburg Pride Promenade and some photos of our view of the crowd!

Thanks for supporting the Fund!

SPHF Grand Marshals of 2012 St Pete Pride

We will be posting more photos in the near future!

]]> http://soniaplotnickhealthfund.org/2012/07/photos-of-sphf-at-st-petersburg-pride-2012/feed/ 0 http://soniaplotnickhealthfund.org/2012/06/sphf-at-st-pete-pride-june-30-2/ http://soniaplotnickhealthfund.org/2012/06/sphf-at-st-pete-pride-june-30-2/#comments Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:34:36 +0000 SPHF Social Media http://soniaplotnickhealthfund.org/?p=1715 SPHF will be one of 10 Grand Marshals in this year’s St Pete Pride Promenade on Saturday June 30, please come out and celebrate pride with us! The parade starts early this year at 9am !!!

Please send us your pictures of 2012 Pride to share: SoniaPlotnickUpdates@Yahoo.com

On June 7th, the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund was very proud to be a part of the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System’s first ever LGBT Pride Program. We had many visitors to our information booth and the Fund is extremely proud to be a part of this inaugural event. The program was presented “in the spirit of Diversity and Inclusion” by the Bay Pines LGBT EEO Special Emphasis Program Committee. The event was very well attended and it was a wonderful opportunity to network with other LGBT organizations and spread the word about the mission of SPHF to help our lesbian sisters.

The Sonia Plotnick Health Fund is a 501c3 charity who awards grants for women’s health care in the Greater Tampa Bay Area. If you are in need of help, go to www.sphf.org and submit an application or search our pages for other sources of financial assistance.  We have had few lesbians applying for grants and we encourage you to check us out. We fund 100% of preventive healthcare!

To be the first to know about our events, go to sphf.org and click on the “register for SPHF events” link. If you have other questions or comments, please email us at SoniaPlotnickUpdates@yahoo.com.

SPHF “OCCASIONALLY ANNUAL” YARD SALE “A GRAND FUNDRAISER”

A sincere thank you to all who donated generously to our April yard sale. Not only did we raise over one thousand dollars for women’s healthcare, we also enjoyed seeing friends of the Fund drop by to purchase items or share their time offering encouragement.

Any clothing items we had left over were donated to CASA and other items were divided between the thrift stores for Friends of Strays and Metro Wellness Center.

Thanks for supporting the Fund and these other important charitable organizations!

SUMMER IS HERE AND JUNE IS NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH

Here are some summer health and safety tips from SPHF to keep you and those you love safe and healthy! Sun and heat are basic staples here in sunny Florida and over one million new skin cancers are diagnosed annually in the US. Even a few serious sunburns can increase your risk so wear long sleeves and pants that are light weight, light colored, and loose fitting. Use a sunscreen that is at least SP15 and reapply often and don’t forget sunglasses and a hat. This is especially true between 10am and 4pm when the sun’s rays are the strongest!

Increase your intake of water and other non-alcoholic beverages and limit strenuous activity to cooler hours. Remember, the elderly, young children and people with chronic health conditions are at higher risk for heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Don’t drink alcohol while swimming, boating, water skiing or operating a jet ski. Maintain your swimming pool to reduce the chance of infectious diseases.

We all love those cook outs but remember to cook meat well and wash produce thoroughly and remove the outer leaves of cabbage and lettuce. Wash cutting boards, utensils and hands that have been in contact with raw meat or poultry before reusing. Got a great pasta salad or slaw? Refrigerate left overs promptly to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria.

Let’s all have a great and safe summer!

JUNE IS NATIONAL ADOPT A CAT MONTH

As lesbians we all love our pets and June is national adopt a cat month. People with pets live longer, happier lives and no one offers unconditional love like our four footed friends. SPHF encourages you to adopt a cat or kitten this month from one of our many no kill shelters. Locally, Friends of Strays and Pet Pal Animal Shelter are two great organizations.

SPHF is a 501c3 charity who awards grants for women’s health care in the Greater Tampa Bay Area. If you are in need of help, go to www.sphf.org and submit an application or search our pages for other sources of financial assistance. We have had few lesbians applying for grants and we encourage you to check us out. We fund 100% of preventive healthcare!

To be the first to know about our events, go to sphf.org and click on the “register for SPHF events” link. If you have other questions or comments, please email us at soniaplotnickupdates@yahoo.com.

SEE YOU AT ST. PETE PRIDE!

After your thorough spring cleaning to help contribute to the SPHF “Occasionally Annual Yard Sale” it’s time to think about getting your preventive healthcare needs attended to. When is the last time you had a mammogram? If you’re over 40 years old it needs to be done every one to two years. If you, your mom, sister or daughter has breast cancer, your risk will be higher so you may need to start sooner or have them more frequently.

How about your last pap smear? Lesbians need only have these every three years if they have no history of disease or abnormal past results and all women of child bearing age need to have one when they are young to establish a baseline for future exams.

How about your teeth? Don’t neglect regular cleanings and x-rays so you are able to keep your teeth healthy for as long as possible before you need very expensive dental procedures.

Why is this important now? Spring is a good time to remind you that the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund will cover 100% of all preventive health care including those listed above as well as other annual screenings including colorectal, lab work, and many others.  FMI: visit SPHF.ORG and apply today. ♥

CLICK THE IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW!

PLAYSTATION AND PLAYSTATION 2 GAMES AND 1 SONY PLAYSTATION SET WITH CONTROLLERS AND STAND

Original artwork by local favorite Diane Gugliotta- This in an orginal not a reproduction or print. Signed and dated by the artist...http://dianegugliotta.com/resume/resume.pdf

These are just a few of the items that will be available.

CLICK THE PICTURES FOR A LARGER VIEW!

Our Values

Acceptance – Dignity – Respect – Compassion – Confidentiality – Compassion – Diversity – Flexibility

SoniaPlotnickUpdates@Yahoo.com

Wanted to leave my comments of the Lady in Red dance. I have attended several in the past and I was a little disappointed this year. The location although nice did not make me feel welcome.
The location was not prepared for our business booking a second dance and not having adequate staff on hand ie bartenders. The dress of those attending was not how it has been in the past. This dance has always provided an opportunity to dress up in formal wear and been made a special occasion.  L

L-I agree with some of your points and appreciate your feedback. As this was our first time at this new venue, it has been a learning experience for all of us. We are already investigating to see if we can expand our seating capacity, increase the number of bartender stations and move their stations so that we will have exclusive access to them. One station could be devoted solely to non alcoholic beverages to further shorten the lines.
The dress of those attending this year was actually better than any previous years as we enforced a dress code of business casual to formal. ( No jeans, no shorts, no sweat suits, no t-shirts and no torn clothing) Please keep in mind that not everyone can afford to purchase or rent formal wear for the night. We may consider increasing the requirement to “dressy to formal” for next year.

Hi, I have been attending the dances for years…I can understand why you don’t use the Coliseum anymore because of the cost. I attended the most recent dance at the Largo Community Center, I have to say I was a little disappointed. It was very crowded, seating was hard to find, some of the women were very snippy about sharing tables. Sometimes, there were just two people sitting at a table for six, and it stayed that way, I kept an eye on some of them and they didn’t have any friends that were up dancing either. I am going to try to find a suitable facility and maybe suggest them to you at a later date. The six of us that attended together came to the same agreement. We came a little after 8:30 or so, the food was already snapped up…the cheese was melted together, etc. maybe food could be excluded and a buy the first drink and the second drink free ticket given at the door.

All and all the night was a success, or so it seemed. The DJ was good. C

C-Thank you for your feedback as it is essential to making improvements in the coming years. As I noted above, the board is working with the Largo Community Center to see if we can expand the area exclusively available to us. It was very crowded and I did have the staff add additional seating without tables around 9:30 PM.
I do agree about the food as well and plans are also underway to make improvements in that area by asking local restaurants to donate appetizers in order to get their name out at our event. We will also allocate more money for food we purchase and make some other changes to make things a bit more elegant.

As a health fund, we do not possess a liquor license and cannot dispense alcohol nor can we control how any venue prices or dispenses their drinks.
(Note: The Fund does not, nor has not received any money from liquor sales at our dances. That money goes to the venue.)

By changing venues, we have already reduced our overhead by close to 50% from the Coliseum. The Largo Community Center also boasts the second largest dance floor in Pinellas County behind the Coliseum. We have not increased our early bird ticket prices in a decade and continue to strive to make the dance as affordable as possible. Even with lower overhead, we still raised only $4000 to be directed towards women applying for financial assistance. (That is the equivalent of helping 8 women with dental needs at the limit of $500 per person for dental).

First, let me thank you for all the hard work that you all have done for the womyn’s community and for the dance we attended last Saturday night.
We had a wonderful experience with the photographer who was professional and rendered a great photo of the two of us.
However, we feel that the dance venue was inappropriate for a womyn’s dance. The room was too small and the music deafening. No matter where you were in the room, conversation was impossible. At the Coloseum the sheer size of the room mitigated the sound of the music. Also, a much smaller number of womyn could be accomodated in Largo leaving six hundred people out.
Most importantly, we did not feel safe having straight people at the dance.  In addition, the idea of straight men in our special space was distasteful at the very least. We do not wish to come to a dance in the future if there is an open door policy.
Perhaps a solution would be to rent a hall in a hotel or an organization which allows us to have private parties. In Massachusetts an organization that contributed to breast cancer, contracted for a room at the Holiday Inn in Brookline and it was totally all womyn.
I hope you take these comments in the spirit they were delivered which is to improve the dance and to continue serving the womyn’s community as a whole medically and socially in the safest most welcoming way.
Again, thank you for all your work which is highly appreciated.
E

Thanks, E. Many of the issues you raise have been addressed above. Unfortunately, we have not “left out” 600 women in several years as our attendance at the Coliseum has steadily declined over the past five years which is one of the major reasons we can no longer afford to use that venue. In fact, we would need to raise ticket prices to $75 to return there and still sell more tickets than we have in the past five years!
As a 501c3 organization we cannot discriminate against anyone and this dance has not been promoted as a womyn’s only dance in over 3 years. Personally, as someone who has faced discrimination in my own lifetime, I believe such measures only perpetuate our own inability to be recognized fully with equal rights as lesbians.
Looking at the history of the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund, men and straight people have been a part of the founding and early dances of this Fund. In the past several years, there have always been between 2-6 men at our dances and I don’t know if they are gay or straight. I also know of several straight women who attend our dances in support of our cause. They are often invited by the lesbians who attend our dances and there has never been an instance within our private spaces that has been a problem. We appreciate their contributions to women’s healthcare needs in our community.
I do like your suggestion regarding partnering with another organization to rent space at a hotel. Keep in mind, that would also present a challenge in number of people who could attend due to space unless we do so without seating or tables.  Additionally, we would still be surrounded by the straight people and men who are staying there during our event.

Hello board,
Thanks for another great event! Some feedback: Liked the venue. It was clean and nice. Lots of stalls in bathroom and they were nice and clean. Dance floor was nice. Chairs were really comfortable. DJ was good. Nice mix of music. City of Largo staff were friendly and helpful.
Only improvements would be one or more additional drink lines so the wait time was not so long. Also, that the room would be cooler. It was quite warm at times.

F

F-Thank you for your feedback. We will be having more bartenders that are exclusively our own next year. Also, having one line dedicated to non alcohol sales only is a possibility. I have already spoken with the LCC manager re: the air conditioning which was turned down around 10PM at my request the night of the dance. That is something that will be monitored more closely in the future.

we just want to say ‘thanks ‘ for all your hard work & making the dance a very nice event. the décor was wonderful & it looked great. the venue is very nice & good location. the gifts were quite good. everyone looked very nice.
we hope you make lots of money. You can give this positive feed-back to your fellow board members
J

J, Thank you so much for your feedback and ongoing support of the Fund. Thank you for attending our events.

Subj: Re: dance
I would just like to ask why the valentines dance was not in st pete,we sure miss the other place,do you know why.alot of us would rather pay more money,to have it back at the old place,this place was nice but not as classy as the old.Can you enliten us on this at all.thanks
C
Hello,
Thanks for writing and asking the question.
You will need to ask your questions to the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund. Their members are the ones that plan and put on these dances to raise money for the FUND. www.sphf.org I only advertise their dances. I do not have any part in making the arrangements for the dance. I am sending your comments to some of their board members also. I’m sure they will get back with you.
Bonding the Lesbian community- Together
Blessings,
Suzanne Noe
AKA ProSuzy

Thank you Suzanne for forwarding this comment to us.
Thank you for the feedback. Due to a five year decline in dance attendance, we can no longer afford the St. Pete Coliseum. Ticket prices would have to be raised to $75 per person and we would still need better attendance than the 507 who attended in 2010. We also witnessed and had complaints from womyn who were being accosted outside the venue by panhandlers and expressed concern for their safety. We are trying very hard to keep the cost affordable due to the economy which has left us in a position to make some very difficult choices in the past year.
Our main goal remains to raise funds for womyn in the Tampa Bay Community who are unable to meet the financial burden of their healthcare needs. Having said that, it is still important we are able to offer some events in the community that you can attend and enjoy at a reasonable price. In the coming year, we will be working towards obtaining monetary grants to help sustain the Fund as nearly 1/2 of our applicants last year were funded at less than they requested due to having insufficient funds available for their requests.

As I’m sure you have already received numerous complaints/concerns about the Lady in Red Dance that was held last month, I’d like to add my concerns as well. While it is understood that the Coliseum had become very costly to continue having the dances there, the choice of holding at the Largo Center was not very well thought out I’m afraid. Having one bar and one bartender available was absolutely ludicrous to say the least. The lines were so long that they bled over into the extremely small dance floor. The venue was far too crowded to be comfortable. Also, while we have been told that it was a “safer” location, I don’t recall there ever being any problems at the Coliseum. That being said, I can’t see how it was safer given the fact that there was another function going on at the same time which was comprised of “straight” couples. Speaking of which, why are we permitting straight couples to attend our dances? Tickets need to be sold in advance “only” to preclude individuals from purchasing them at the door and not being able to turn them away. These dances have been
so very enjoyable and the monies that have been donated to SPHF have assisted many people. However, I think you will find that the numbers will begin to dwindle if we continue on this path. I might suggest, as have many of the folks I have spoken with, that the Gulfport Casino be used for the dances, including the Lady in Red. Thank you for contacting me. I wish you continued success.     C

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C   Thank you for your feedback as SPHF tries to use all feedback to improve our events. I am in 100% agreement that we needed more than two bartenders. In fact, one week after the dance I spoke with the director of the facility and addressed several concerns that were communicated to me that evening. We will have more bartenders exclusively dedicated to our patrons next year and are looking at several ways to increase seating without sacrificing comfort including waiting for a quote to rent the entire hall next year which would give us two ballrooms and no other patrons of the facility would be sharing the building that night.
Having worked every dance SPHF has had for the past fourteen years, I can tell you from witnessing events myself at the front doors to the Coliseum, we have had womyn accosted out there by panhandlers before, including last year’s dance. I am seldom in the ballroom so am able to watch the doors throughout the entire night in most cases.
Regarding the presence of “straight couples” I will refer you to the web site where I have already addressed the issues that were submitted including many you have shared today. We sell approximately 100 tickets at the door every year for this dance as many women will not or are unable to use Pay Pal and wait too late to get them mailed ahead of time despite advertising 4-5 months in advance in our newsletters, on our webpage and our Face book pages.
It is the ongoing decline in attendance from over 1200 several years ago to barely 500 last year that necessitated this move. The DJ is the same DJ we have had for the past several years (except one year absence due to illness).
The Board did not make this judgment without considering many things including the size of the dance floor. The  Largo Community Center has the second largest floor in the county and could offer us additional space for vendors, serving food, more than adequate parking and a shuttle bus and golf cart in case of inclement weather. We would need to schedule the Sweetheart Dance in January or March at the Casino as all February dates are normally booked over a year in advance for weddings. We did not want to have to make a change but have lost money on several dances at the Casino and barely break even for the February Dance when it was at the Coliseum for the past three years.
SPHF understands that change is very difficulty for everyone. We take our primary mission of assisting women in need of healthcare very seriously. As stewards of these hard earned funds, we could no longer afford to put on events that lose money or cost more to put on than we receive in profit which is where we have been for the past 2-3 years.
I hope you understand some of our decisions given the background I have shared with you today and will continue to support the efforts of SPHF. We really do care deeply about the feedback we receive, as we believe all comments are helpful, and strive to make any changes we can to benefit the Fund and those who support it.
If you are interested in becoming a board member or volunteer we would love to have your input on a more regular basis.
Please refer to our web site at sphf.org for more details on applying and you can follow the thread of comments at our blog which is also located at sphf.org.
Again, please accept my appreciation of your feedback and ongoing support of SPHF.
Warmly,
Chicky

If you have not yet shared your thoughts with us on the Lady in Red Dance or other SPHF activities, please feel free to do so, as we do take all of your feedback into consideration when making decisions for future events. Email us at SoniaPlotnickUpdates@Yahoo.com or register here at www.sphf.org to leave comments on our web log.

Chicky,  President SPHF

Our Values

Acceptance – Dignity – Respect – Compassion – Confidentiality – Compassion – Diversity – Flexibility

What would you like to see at next year’s ‘Lady in Red’ Sweetheart Dance?   What about the food?  How did you like the new Venue?  How was your experience with the professional photographer and the jewelry booth?  Do you have a song suggestion for next year?

The SPHF is a 501 c3 charity and all Donations are tax deductible. ♥ Thank you for supporting the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund.