In honor of LGBT Pride month this June, we have signed on to be official sponsors of the CNY Gay 5k (Saturday, June 17th). Our board member, Valerie Lisi, is the race director. In 2016 she established the race to raise awareness for local LGBT organizations. All proceeds from the race directly benefit SAGE Upstate and CNY Pride.

As an official sponsor of the race our goal is to recruit volunteers and collect donations. At a minimum we will contribute 25 volunteer hours, $250 in donations, or a combination of both to reach our goal.

In addition we are hosting an ally awareness event prior to the race where we’ll have guest speakers discuss issues facing the LGBT community in CNY. This is the first in a series of events we plan to host, Thoughts to Action, where we’ll invite guest speakers from relevant local organizations to discuss key issues facing our community, then go out and volunteer with those organizations.

Upcoming Events  

Ally Awareness Night (sponsored by the Love CNY ThinkTank)
Wednesday, May 31st, 6 – 8 pm, SAGE Upstate, 431 E Fayette St. #050
Syracuse, NY 13202

Join us for a night of free food and conversation centered around supporting the LGBT community in Central New York. At the meeting we will have several guest speakers:

• Hannah Radcliff-Hoy from SAGE Upstate will discuss her organization’s role in the community and opportunities to volunteer
• Valerie Lisi, race director for the CNY Gay 5k will be there to talk about the race and opportunities to volunteer or donate
• Jessica Reeher, a special presenter will discuss issues surrounding sexuality, gender, heteronormativity, and ally awareness   

CNY Gay 5k                                                                 
Saturday, June 17th, 9 am, Long Branch Park in Liverpool, NY

• Volunteer on race day. When you sign up, be sure to put (Love CNY ThinkTank) after your last name, so that race organizers know you’re with us.
• Donate. If you donate, we’d appreciate your support. We have several runners registered for the race. In the “Donating on Behalf of a Runner” field, type in Love CNY ThinkTank. A $10 donation = 1 hour of volunteer time that will be included towards our sponsorship of the race.
• Register to run or walk!

News:                                                                                                                                                   
We have been tracking the flooding happening on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. When the water starts to recede we will share opportunities to help with cleanup and habitat restoration.

Stay tuned this summer as we partner with local organizations to support refugees in our community. This fall we plan to work with CNY Robotics to support the continued development of engaging educational opportunities for youth in our community.  

Please join our Love CNY ThinkTank Facebook group for additional updates, and follow us at lovecnythinktank.com.