Mama Dragons to hold a casino night fundraiser

Mama Dragons is holding its first-ever fundraiser on National Coming Out Day with the theme “Come Out and Play.”

To be held Oct. 11 at Church and State, 370 S 300 East in downtown Salt Lake City, the evening will include interactive games, prizes, food, and drinks with entertainment by drag performers from the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire and will be emceed by Empress Royale XXI Chaise Manhattan.

Tickets to the 18-and-older event are $65 and will include dinner, a complimentary beverage, $25 in gaming chips, one ticket for the Opportunity Drawing and one spin on the Prize Wheel.

Common Cents Casino Parties will be wheeling and dealing the games for your entertainment all evening, including Texas Hold ’Em, Roulette, Blackjack, and Craps. For those who don’t like games, you can take a spin on the Prize Wheel for donated items such as theater tickets, gift certificates to local restaurants, and more.

For the Opportunity Drawing, donors have provided a chance to win a one-week stay in Florida, two round-trip tickets on Jet Blue, and four nights with stunning valley views at a local Salt Lake AirBnB, just to name a few.

There will also be a photo booth and Mama Dragons Merchandise table.

Since 2014, Mama Dragons’ mission has been to educate, support, and empower mothers of LGBTQ kids so they can become the best possible advocates for their kids. They’ve grown from a handful of LDS mothers to over 3,500 mothers from all walks of life, faith communities, and regions.

Mama Dragons received its 501(c)3 status in June of 2018 in order to continue developing programming to support its membership. It offers secure spaces for communication in its Facebook groups, face-to-face regional group meetings, mentorship, a community education program, suicide prevention, and a comprehensive resource library. They are planning their first annual conference to be held in October of 2020.

“Mama Dragons exists solely from grants and donations from generous individuals and corporations in the community. Our donors provide the support we need to develop and strengthen the programming we use to find and educate mothers who need our support in accepting and loving their kids, especially mothers from conservative faith traditions,” said Wendy VonSosen, President of Mama Dragons. “We are thrilled to be able to enjoy an evening of entertainment and interaction with our incredible community.”

Proceeds will support the group’s Question, Persuade and Refer Training for Suicide Prevention, the Mama Dragons Community Education Program, participation in Pride festivals, and their efforts to translate their materials for Spanish-speaking communities.

Visit mamadragons.org to support the efforts of Mama Dragons and to purchase your tickets to the event or to become a sponsor.