<h2><img alt=Dignity/Washington Logo src=/sites/default/files/ChapterLogos/WashingtonDC_0.jpg style=width: 180px; height: 121px; margin: 5px; float: right; />Dignity/Washington&#39;s 40th Anniversary Celebration</h2> <p>By Tom Bower Dignity/Washington Board member and co-chairman with John Fegan of the event</p> <p>Dignity/Washington celebrated its 40th Anniversary on the weekend of December 1-2 2012 culminating a year of community celebrations that attracted widespread interest and congratulations.&nbsp;&nbsp;The <em>Washington Blade</em> ran <a href=http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/11/29/faith-of-our-fathers/ target=_blank>an extensive article</a> in its November 30 issue entitled &ldquo;Faith of Our Fathers&rdquo; discussing our chapter its history and DignityUSA&rsquo;s long list of activities. <a href=http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/11/29/faith-of-our-fathers/ target=_blank>The article</a> was written by staff writer Joey DiGuglielmo. &nbsp;</p> <!--break--> <p>On Saturday night December 1 a sold out gala dinner&nbsp;silent auction and entertainment for ninety members and guests was held in a private function room at Clyde&#39;s of Gallery Place.&nbsp; Members and local businesses donated works of art; weeks at a beach house at Rehoboth Delaware; restaurant and theater certificates; and tickets to MLB and NFL sporting events. Due to these generous donations the proceeds from this silent auction exceeded any of those previously held.&nbsp;Tim Gartshore one of Washington DC&rsquo;s most respected stage performers winner of two Helen Hayes Awards for Best Actor and an eight-time nominee provided a pleasing balance of amusing and tender singing.&nbsp;Past DignityUSA president Mark Matson spoke inspiringly about the LGBT movement within the Catholic Church and the importance of Dignity both nationally and locally in creating progress.&nbsp;Dignity/Washington community awards were given out to deserving members and one award to a non-member Sr. Maureen Fiedler SL for her inspirational work on progressive issues and her current NPR show <em>Interfaith Voices</em> especially her series <a href=http://interfaithradio.org/Archive/2012-July target=_blank>Gay in the Eyes of God</a>.</p> <p>Then at the 40th Anniversary Mass on December 1 the first day of Advent we were delighted to have a founding member of Dignity/Washington Sr. Jeannine Gramick SL as guest homilist.&nbsp; She concluded her fine remarks by reciting the lyrics to the song <em>I Am Who I Am</em> as a prayer. Never did Broadway sound so right. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>For more photos of the event please check out Dignity/Washington&rsquo;s Facebook page under Dignity/Washington 40th Anniversary Dinner.</p> <h2>Dignity/Washington&rsquo;s Annual Secret Santa Drive a Huge Success</h2> <p>By Tom Hardy Dignity/Washington member and Drive co-chairman</p> <p>The living room of Carl Spier and Tom Hardy&rsquo;s home was filled to overflowing with presents from the 2012 Dignity/Washington Secret Santa Gift Drive. All of the presents were safely delivered on December 17 to the Maury Elementary School on Capitol Hill. The principal Caroline Albert-Garvey and her staff were delighted to receive so many gifts for their neediest children. Albert-Garvey and her assistants distributed the presents &quot;secretly&quot; to parents who later put them under the tree (or next to the mantle) for their kids on Christmas Eve. This was the thirteenth year of Dignity/Washington&rsquo;s Secret Santa Gift Drive. &ldquo;Coming as it does just a few days after the tragedy at Newtown&rdquo; said Tom Hardy Drive co-chairman with his partner Carl Spier &ldquo;Our delivery of Dignity/Washington&#39;s Secret Santa presents was especially poignant as we looked at the sweet faces of the youngsters in their classrooms and heard their laughter.&rdquo; Well done Tom and Carl.</p> <h2>&ldquo;Help Us Avoid Suicide&rdquo; Presentation Held at the Dignity/Washington Center</h2> <p>By Henry Huot Dignity/Washington Board member</p> <p>Guest speaker Keith Lisenbee clinical director of Dominion Hospital spoke for approximately forty-five minutes on November 17 on how to avoid suicide. His presentation was followed by a Q&amp;A session from attendees at the Dignity Center. The Dignity/Washington community was responding to the suicide of two of its members in the past year and a half and seeking to educate itself about the warning signs of suicide as well as how to offer compassionate support.</p>