More than 120 Washington, D.C., restaurants, bars and shops will be turning Donald Trump’s Inauguration weekend into a fundraiser for charities through a group called All In Service DC.
Among the dozens of organizations that will benefit from the effort are LGBTQ nonprofits Casa Ruby, The DC Center for the LGBT Community, Human Rights Campaign, SMYAL, The Trevor Project and Whitman-Walker Health.
“All In Service DC is an initiative of D.C.'s amazing service industry and is a celebration of D.C.'s diversity,” All In Service DC Spokesperson Sarah Massey told NBC Out.
“I am one of the six women who are volunteering to lead this initiative, and I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community,” Massey added. “Washington, D.C. is a wonderfully diverse city, and this project shows our love, compassion and care for our community. Our LGBTQ nonprofits give vital services, such as health resources, education, advocacy and more.”
One of the businesses that will be supporting an LGBTQ nonprofit during Inauguration weekend is Logan 14 Aveda Salon & Spa in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood.
“We’re excited to highlight the diversity and vibrancy that make this city great,” Molly Ryan, the salon’s manager, told NBC Out.
Logan 14 will be supporting three nonprofits during Inauguration Weekend. On Friday, it will donate 5 percent of its proceeds to women’s empowerment organization N Street Village; on Saturday, it will donate 5 percent to The DC Center for the LGBT Community; and on Sunday it will donate 5 percent to Martha’s Table, which provides healthy food and education to children.
When asked why Logan 14 selected an LGBTQ organization to support, Ryan said there were many reasons -- the business has an openly gay owner, it has many LGBTQ clients and the employees have a desire to give back to the community. But there was one reason that stood out among the many.
“One of our staff members was very passionate about a subgroup of The DC Center, the HIV Working Group, and he passed away in 2016, so we wanted to support the charity that he worked so hard for,” Ryan said.
Logan 14's donation to The DC Center will be made in the name of that staff member, Barry Smythers-Wieczorek.
"We’re really excited to use this as an opportunity to highlight The DC Center in honor of Barry," Ryan added.
Inauguration weekend is expected to give a significant boost to the Washington economy, with at least one estimate putting the dollar amount north of $1 billion in revenue. In addition to LGBTQ nonprofits, organizations that support ethnically diverse communities, women’s issues and children will be among the beneficiaries of the All in Service DC initiative.
The full list of benefiting nonprofits and participating businesses can be viewed on All In Service DC’s website.
