Benefit for Ms. Cherry Gallete on Sunday, May 31, 2009

If you've ever met Cherry Gallete, you'll always remember what a fun, positive, friendly and lovely person she is. Now she needs our help. It seems she had a run-in with an SUV. Well, those vehicles are a lot larger than Cherry, so you can guess who would up with the most damage! She's on the mend, but she could use our love and dollars to help her along until she's able to get back to her day job and dancing! To help her out, her friends and family have put together a show this Sunday at Velvet in Oakland. And if you can't attend, you can send a donation via PayPal. Here are the deets:

Our Cherie Amour: A Benefit for Ms. Cherry Galette

WHEN: SUNDAY MAY 31, 7 PM til the ride is over.
WHERE: Velvet Oakland, 3411 MacArthur Blvd.
WHAT: An evening of performance, delicious drinks, and love and money giving to the infamous and magically delicious Ms. Cherry, our beloved Arab/Latin showgirl, Mangos With Chili co-founder and co-director, and queer of color community magic maker
WHY: Because Cherry was hit by a truck two months ago and needs some community love and dollar bills. And c'mon- you want an excuse to go drink on a Sunday at Velvet anyways!!!!!!!!!!!
COVER: $10 to whatever you wanna give.

FEATURING:
DJ Emancipacion
Mangos with Chili
Kellita of Hot Pink Feathers
Simone de La Getto
Chan Fantastique
King TuffNStuff
Kiss Me Kate
Margaret France
Barbarita Perales
And TBA

Dear community and family,

You know Cherry. You love Cherry. Maybe you know her as that magically delicious queer Chicana/Arab dancer whose gorgeous Arab-Latin dance fusion, burlesque, sassy gogo, or work with Hot Pink Feathers and other Bay Area dance groups has left you jaw dropped and speechless as she embodied all the fierce, life-giving, smile inducing, queer beauty and power you ever dreamed of or needed deep in your soul. Maybe you know her as the co-founder and director of Mangos With Chili, or a producer of countless stunning shows both near and across the country that centered queer of color art and stories that lifted and saved you. Maybe you know her as a friend, a loved one, part of your dance community, part of your SWANA/Arab/North African/Middle Eastern, Latina/o, queer of color family, or as the open hearted, sweet, rowdy and raucous girl whose words and movement and courageous truth telling have been there for you when you needed it.

Two months ago, as she was walking across the street, Cherry was hit by an SUV whose driver was making a left turn while talking on her cell phone. The injuries from this accident have left Cherry in pretty constant pain since then, with limitations to her mobility and energy. They have prevented her from working at her day job or dancing - her art, and also how she makes part of her living. While Cherry is doing all the physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, herbal remedies, stretching and resting known to humanity, healing is going to take its own time.

In the two months since the accident, we, Cherry's friends and family, have been helping her with the day to day stuff. However, at this point, she needs help to sustain herself financially and cover living expenses and costs for treatment.

We are a family. And family take care of each other. Especially queer and trans of color family who may not have close relationships with our families of origin. We are kin, and we have a responsibility to care for each other when we are challenged by hardship.

So we are calling on you, our larger community, to please come out to a fabulous benefit night of entertainment for Ms. Cherry! And if you can't make it, please consider donating money to Cherry through PayPal (use the email chachacherry AT gmail DOT com). All donations will go towards paying for Cherry's rent, groceries and other living expenses while she is still unable to work.

In love and revolution,
The Cheryluscious Love Team

The PayPal link that I received in the email didn't work, but I think you can donate using her email above. If I receive more information, I'll be sure to post it.