ANGLS to host bake sale

The Association for the Needs of Gay and Lesbian Students (ANGLS) will host a bake sale on Mar. 10 in the Sam Rayburn Student Center atrium at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

The bake sale will consist of an assortment of baked goods, prepared by the members of ANGLS, and will be sold from 11am-2pm.

"Members of ANGLS, as many as possible, will buy supplies for baking and bake the items themselves that will be sold in the bake sale," junior photography major and ANGLS Secretary/Treasurer Ferne Carr said.

This is the first bake sale ANGLS has hosted. The members are hoping the proceeds from the bake sale will help fund the drag show they host in April that benefits Set Apart Aiming Victoriously to Eliminate Diseases (SAAVED).

According to the SAAVED website, saaved.org, they have had extensive experience in educating individuals about HIV/AIDS. It says they combat the spread of the disease "by targeting people who are more likely to contract the HIV." The website continues to say they "offer them a way of practicing a positive behavior so we can eliminate this deadly disease."

This is the second year that ANGLS has donated to SAAVED.

"When looking for an organization to donate to this year, we were trying to find one that prevented hate crimes," Carr said. "The officers of ANGLS got together and decided since we had previously established a relationship with SAAVED we would donate again."

Last year ANGLS relied on its members to pay for decorations, food and advertising for the drag show and the participants in the drag show were kind enough to donate their time.

"All organization funds last year had to go solely to pay the UPD officers that were at the drag show," senior public relations major and ANGLS president Morgan Corley said. Flyers and other forms of advertisement came out of the member's pockets, not dues.

ANGLS will also host a silent auction on Mar. 3 to help with the expenses of the drag show.

"The silent auction and the bake sale will help greatly with the expenses of the drag show, which will be held April 7," Carr said.

The silent auction will be held at the Sam Rayburn Student Center in Conference Room B.

Pottery, books, massages, University Playhouse tickets and Dominos Pizza certificates, all of which have been donated by the university and the Commerce community, are some of the items that will be auctioned off.

ANGLS was lucky enough to start off in a better financial situation than last year.

"Usually we don't start out the year with any money," Corley said. "We rely solely on people paying their dues. This year we were lucky enough to start out with money from contributors and support from the university."

Members of ANGLS are hoping that by hosting the bake sale and silent auction it will bring awareness to students, faculty and staff at A&M-Commerce and in the community about the drag show and the SAAVED organization.

"It's good to go into an organization that is prepared," theater graduate student Gerald Taylor said. "Awareness of SAAVED and transgender, transsexual and homosexual individuals will help establish equality among differences in people. I wouldn't say a drag show is the best or worst way to raise awareness but it does raise awareness and get attention."

For more information on ANGLS and donating to SAAVED or ANGLS contact ANGLS President Morgan Corley at mcorley@leo.tamu-commerce.edu.