There鈥檚 no better way to spend a Saturday night than partying with drag queens as they belt out Cher covers.
At least according to J枚rg Michel, anyway.
Michel is a member of Jasper Pride Festival Society, which is holding its Diva-Licious fundraiser, featuring performances by divas Toni Lester Van Blam and Ginger Schnapps, this weekend.
The society was incorporated this September, to take over the organization of Jasper鈥檚 annual pride festival, which for the past four years has been run by HIV West Yellowhead.
With its first fundraising event Michel said the society hopes to raise a good chunk of change to put toward this year鈥檚 festival. He thinks with fabulous performances by the duo of divas this weekend, that shouldn鈥檛 be too hard.
Mychol Ormandy will be one of the divas performing at the Jasper Legion Nov. 30.
He said he 鈥渇irst put on a dress and a pair of shoes鈥� for a performance when he was 17, so he鈥檚 got years of experience performing.
鈥淭he experience is like no other,鈥� he said, 鈥渁 whole different feeling comes over you.鈥�
Ormandy said he and Josh Jacobson鈥攚ho will perform as Ginger Schnapps鈥攈ave been rehearsing hard for the show.
Along with the performance, Michel said the event will also feature a 50/50 draw, silent auction and Texas mickey draw. There will also be tons of great prizes, including tickets to see 鈥渢he ultimate diva,鈥� Cher, in Edmonton.
Michel and Ormandy also hinted that other surprises might be in store.
鈥淵ou never know what the drag queens will pull out of their wigs; there鈥檚 going to be some good surprises,鈥� Ormandy said.
Michel said with a society focused solely on the Jasper Pride Weekend, its fifth year should be far and away its best.
鈥淲e have a lot more time now to focus on the festival,鈥� he said, which means it will be 鈥渂igger and better鈥� than it鈥檚 ever been.
He said the society鈥檚 goal is to turn Jasper Pride Weekend into a 鈥渂ig draw,鈥� bringing out both out-of-towners and Jasper鈥檚 local LGBT community.
Michel said the new society has already seen great traction in Jasper, and he hopes that support will translate into good attendance and a great party. He stressed that even though it鈥檚 an LGBT event, it鈥檚 not in any way exclusive; he wants the whole community to come out.
鈥淟ike our festival, it鈥檚 for everybody, and everybody鈥檚 welcome,鈥� he said.
聽Trevor Nichols
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