Capital City Pride honors PFLAG

Anna Schlecht and Tony Sermonti representing Capital City Pride honored PFLAG at our monthly meeting this past Sunday. They presented us with a beautiful plaque thanking us for our years of service to the GLBTQ community and to Pride, and they recognized some of the people who have worked with us over the years, beginning with the founders and charter members.

Honored were Paul and Betty Beeman - founders. Paul was a long time president of the chapter and they both ran the newsletter and help line for years.

Charter members or early active members who contributed to the formation of PFLAG-Olympia were recognized, including:
David Kindle
Lori Kovell
Stella Warren
Mary and Frank Fairchild
Terri Yount (a past treasurer)
Steve and Nancy Thompson
Penny Merrill - took over as president after Paul stepped down, in L.A. now
Virgil Clarkson - charter member and current board member

Also recognized were:

Mike Walsh - former president, volunteered to help serve pancakes in the park every year and worked on our safe schools programs
Shirley Pearson - spearheaded a couple of fundraising auctions, served on speakers panels and served on the board for years, organized and served pancakes in the park at Pride every year - with her family
Brianne Pearson - Shirley's daughter, our first youth board member, served on speakers panel
Jeff Loyer - served as a past treasurer and president, has been responsible for storing and transporting tent and tabling materials for Pride and other events, helped raise money for PFLAG and Pizza Klatch, represents PFLAG on Pizza Klatch organizing committee, worked on our safe schools programs
Betsy Loyer - responsible for getting snacks at the meetings for a number of years
Donna Doyle - currently responsible for snacks and for organizing and cataloging library materials, tabled at many events
Catherine Dawdy - current treasurer, set up data base, helped organize library materials, does chapter's Facebook admin
Gabi Clayton - board member, speakers panel, established our website, newsletter editor
Alec Clayton - chapter president, newsletter editor, website, speakers panel
Lynn Grotsky - board member, helped start Pizza Klatch and represents PFLAG on Pizza Klatch organizing committee
Bill Donner - current secretary of the board
Kristin Stewart - current board member, helps table at events, speakers panel
Kathryn Coffman - current board member and does chapter's Facebook admin

Only Virgil Clarkson and David Kindle among the charter members were able to be present at Sunday's meeting. We were told that Stella Warren has passed away, and others were not able to attend. We know there are probably some other charter members whom none of the present members knew, and we regret that we may have missed some and that we don't have archival records from the earliest years of the chapter.

Thank you, Anna, Tony and Capital City Pride.