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TONY
HESS Local Community Supports People in Need Through National Leather Event. The weekend of Friday April 18, 2003 has been designated as Leather Day of Caring throughout the nation, and Tony Hess, Mr. Western New York Leather, 2002, is sponsoring local activities to support that event. Demonstrations and fundraising events will be held at The Bachelor Forum, 670 University Avenue, Rochester, NY. Leather Day of Caring
was founded by Karen McGee, Ms. World Leather 2002. The concept is also
sponsored by the Ms World Leather Organization, and asks the leather
community across the world to take one day to make a difference. Leather
Day of Caring calls upon the Pansexual family, tribe, brothers, sisters,
clubs, organizations and individuals of the leather and fetish community
to care for those with HIV/AIDS in their own communities. It is the
event's vision to unite the leather and fetish lifestyles to make a
On Friday, April 18, from 8 PM to 11 PM, Mr. Hess will be hosting a fetish demo and fundraiser to support the Threshold Center for Youth Services, which provides outreach and support for youth ages 12 - 25 in the Rochester area in health care, HIV testing, counseling and other services. The Center operates a van service providing outreach to homeless youth 3 - 4 nights a week to provide HIV testing and general health care. At this event, Bob Forbes will be presenting a demonstration on bondage and rope play. Johnny Ipacs will join Mr Forbes to provide a demonstration on wax and fireplay. Bob Forbes has been involved in the leather community for over 20 yrs. He is a member of a grass-roots HIV-AIDS organization in Syracuse, NY since the 1990's. He has been the promoter of the Mr. Western New York Leather Contest for over 10 years. He is also a founding member of Journeymen LTD in Syracuse New York. Johnny Ipacs has been a member of the leather community for over 20 years. He was the first Mr. Western New York Leather in 1993. Mr. Ipacs (also known by Torch-R) has been training individuals interested in the leather and fetish lifestyle for over 10 years, and has an extreme interest in edgeplay and fire. Mr. Hess is hosting a 50/50 raffle and the Flogging for Dollars event during the evening as a way to raise funds to support the outreach programs of the Threshold Center for Youth Services. Tickets for the raffle will be sold throughout the evening. Flogging for Dollars will pair people, to see who can go the longest in a flogging scene, while working with various partners. Sponsors may support participants through a flat donation, or on a sliding scale. Sponsorships may be obtained in advance, or during the event. Mr. Hess was the founder of Prism, Northern New York's Gay and Lesbian Community Concerns Group, and co-chaired a display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1991 in Canton, New York. He founded the Northern New York HIV/AIDS Community Directory in 1994, which is now in it's third edition. He also worked with Basic Rights Oregon, a Political Action Committee opposed to the gay and lesbian discrimination initiatives sponsored in that state. Since moving out of Northern New York, Mr. Hess has become involved in the leather and fetish community, and won the title of Mr. Western New York Leather, in October of 2002. Mr. Hess now resides in Rochester, NY. Mr. Hess joined
with Douglas Connors, Mr. Ottawa-Outaouais 2003 during the weekend of
March 21- 23 at the Syracuse Journeyman's Strengthening Our Ties weekend
to do a donation drive to gather food, clothing and other essential
articles for homeless individuals. All proceeds were donated to The
Living For more information
about the Rochester events, please contact Mr. Hess at (585) 442-1254,
or at mrwnyleather@Yahoo.com.
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