NATIONAL LGBT CENTER AWARENESS DAY
On October 19th, the National LGBT Center Awareness Day celebrates the services provided by centers across the nation.
LGBT community centers provide services to everyone from youth to seniors. They provide an environment of advocacy, empowerment, and support. Through their services, the LGBT community find cultural events, wellness programs, career services, and more. In times of crisis, community centers often provide the first line of contact. However, they serve as a network, connecting people in the LGBT community together.
These organizations also serve as a point of education. From the cultural aspects of the LGBT community to providing resources, these centers offer vital services to entire neighborhoods.
HOW TO OBSERVE LGBT CENTER AWARENESS DAY
Many community centers will hold events on this day. Some events include fundraisers, art shows, clinics, seminars, open houses and more. Join an event near you.
As a way of showing your gratitude, offer to run a fundraiser or make a donation. Learn more about your local community center’s opportunities and become involved. Support for your local community center by giving them a shout out. Share your skills with your local center to improve your community. Give a shout out to your local LGBT Center on social media. While celebrating, be sure you use #LGBTCenterAwarenessDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL LGBT CENTER AWARENESS DAY HISTORY
CenterLink sponsors LGBT Center Awareness Day, which was founded in 1994 to bring attention to the positive work provided by centers. The sponsor, CenterLink, serves over 40,000 people weekly, wanted to highlight the ways people can get involved and use their local centers.
October 19th History
1789
John Jay is sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the United States. He served until June 29, 1795.
1917
Near a battlefield in France, Helen Purviance began frying doughnuts for homesick troops. Her act of kindness as part of the Salvation Army turned into a mission. Women working with the Salvation Army used their ingenuity to convert everyday items to use in the doughnut production lines all along the frontline. Today, their efforts are celebrated on National Doughnut Day.
1939
At the age of 18, Anna Lee Aldred persevered in becoming the first woman in North America to be licensed as a professional jockey. Despite opposition, the equestrian triumphed and began her professional career.
1943
Researchers at Rutgers University isolate the antibiotic Streptomycin bringing forth a treatment for tuberculosis.
1952
The French scientist, Dr. Alain Bombard, tested his theory of survival adrift at sea. He believed sailors stranded at sea could survive indefinitely on what the sea offered. In a small inflatable raft, he set sail from the Canary Islands and drifted across the Atlantic Ocean. He arrived in Barbados on December 24, 1952. Bombard survived on raw fish, plankton and sips of seawater and rainwater. Sealed in a waterproof bag were emergency rations that were notarized before he left on the journey.
1966
Bobby Orr hits the ice with the Boston Bruins in his NHL regular-season debut. They squared off against the Detroit Red Wings and won 6-2.
1967 –
NASA’s Mariner 5 flies past Venus sending back detailed data.
1990
Directed by and starring Kevin Costner, the film Dances with Wolves premieres in Washington D.C. The film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Directing.
October 19th Birthdays
Annie Smith Peck – 1850
Among her many accomplishments, Annie Smith Peck became known for her mountaineering spirit. After climbing Mount Shasta in California at the age of 38, Peck never looked back. Her last climb was 44 years later when Peck ascended Mount Madison in New Hampshire. In between, she set records climbing ambitious mountaintops and also helped to found the American Alpine Club.
Alice McLellan Birney – 1858
In 1897, Birney founded the National Congress of Mothers. Today, the organization is better known as the National Parent-Teacher Association.
Auguste Lumière – 1862
Auguste Lumière, along with his brother, became film pioneers when they invented and began manufacturing a motion picture camera and projector. The device, called a Cinèmatographe, captured images at 16 frames per second. They set to work filming everyday events and conducted their first public screening on December 28, 1895.
Marguerite Perey – 1909
In 1939, the French physicist discovered the last naturally occurring element, francium (Fr). Perey was a student of Marie Curie, and in 1962 she became the first woman elected to the French Acadèmie des Science.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar – 1910
In 1983, the astrophysicist and William A Fowler won the Nobel Prize for Physics for their discoveries regarding the later evolutionary stages of massive stars.
Evander Holyfield – 1962
The American boxer stands alone in a couple of pugilism categories. He’s the only professional boxer to win the heavyweight championship four times, and he’s the only boxer to hold undisputed championships in two weight classes – cruiserweight and heavyweight.
