Drinking For A Change

A new group called Drinking For A Change has arranged for fifteen NYC gay bars to donate $1 per drink to LGBT causes. The first DFAC event is this weekend, March 19th and 20th. Via press release:

By focusing on small donations on a mass scale, Drinking for a Change aims to engage a greater portion of the LGBT community and its allies around the causes that matter to them. "The idea Drinking for a Change was inspired by the Church, quite frankly," said Kevin Forsyth the group’s founder. "Faith-based donations played a huge role in passing Prop 1 in Maine and Prop 8 in California, which stripped marriage rights away from same-sex couples. Every week, you give your five dollars. Whether it goes to fixing the roof or fixing America's morals is irrelevant, you just know your beliefs and lifestyles are being protected. Why can't gay people and their friends have that? We may not have gay church, but we do have gay bars."

Forsyth quickly assembled a group of friends, both gay and straight, to hone and execute the concept and strategy. The aim is to create an avenue to introduce less-engaged New Yorkers to the charities that support the gay community. Their first weekend on March 19th and 20th will collect a dollar-a-drink for The Empire State Pride Agenda, The Ali Forney Center and the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, three prominent LGBT-focused not-for-profits in New York. With no paid staff and minimal expenses, nearly one hundred percent of the money collected will go directly to the charities.

The bars taking part in this week's fundraiser can be found here.

UPDATE: I'm told that I've misunderstood the first email about this and that the PATRONS, not the bars, will be donating $1 per drink. Very different.