Gay village gala in April

Glenn Crawford is planning a fundraiser to raise money for rainbow flags and signs for the proposed gay village on Bank Street.

Build our Bank, a semi-formal dinner, will be held on April 14 at Café Paradiso.

Initially, Crawford hoped to raise $10,000, but based on feedback he is now hoping to raise around $4,000.

“We had to make the event affordable to more people, and so we lowered the price of the event,” he says. “It was supposed to be a gala evening, but it got too expensive."

Tickets are now $50 each.

Crawford says the village committee is trying to determine how much the flags and signs will cost.

“It depends on the size of the flag and the pole,” he says. “We are looking to fly around 15 flags in the area."

The proposed village would cover six city blocks downtown, from Nepean Street to James Street, and between Kent  and O’Connor Streets.

Crawford says it would cost $18,000 to produce and install 60 signs.

But raising money is a challenge.

Last Friday, the village initiative expected to raise between $300 to $500 during a game-show fundraiser. They only made $200.

Raising $4,000 at the gala in April would be a feat in itself, but the money raised will still not be enough to  pay for their controversial signs.