Rainbow Ball Weekend set for April 7-9 at UMM

April 4, 2017 Alumni, Community, News

MACHIAS, Maine — The University of Maine at Machias will be hosting the 10th Annual Rainbow Ball Weekend from April 7-9, a major education and socialization weekend for LGBTQ middle/high school and college students. Nearly 250 visitors and presenters will be staying and visiting on campus for three days of enrichment. It will the event’s last appearance on the Machias campus, however, due to the success of the event.
Dr. Lois-Ann Kuntz, who founded the weekend and pulls it together with the UMM 100% Society, said “This beautiful rainbow village has been changing lives for 10 years. It has been an astounding, unimagined success. It has outgrown us, the 100 percent Society, as well as the campus so we will be finding a home for it elsewhere, starting next year.”
The theme for this year’s event is Out In Space. Throughout the day Saturday, 19 various events will be offered in three sessions. These range from historical perspectives to poetry creation to mural and book creation. The ball will be held Saturday evening.

Kuntz said that the Rainbow Ball Weekend was unable to secure grants this year so donations will be vital towards the event’s support. For information on the full weekend, including a schedule of events, go to sites.google.com/a/maine.edu/10th-rainbow-ball-weekend/ ; To donate: secure.touchnet.com/C22921_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=2012&SINGLESTORE=true)
Kuntz said the weekend owes thanks to the following people for assisting in the planning and exeuction of  Rainbow Ball Weekend: IT crew and students; Rose & Chris Alexander;Physical Plant; Jake Hanley; Julie Millay, Bernie Vinzani, the Book Arts Studio and the Powers Hall Art Gallery, Lindsay McMahon and Nick Cowell and the Reynolds Center students, Matt Ensworth of Sodexo.  Thanks also to those helping with weekend programming: Jude Valentine, Meghan Duff, Dan Qualls, Tessa Mellas, Kessie Smith-Marengo, Gayle Kraus, Gene Nichols, Duane Ingalls, Tora Johnson, Lori Schnieders, Stacey Cherry and Donald Crump.