Regina celebrity drag show raises more than $60K for LGBTQ2S+ youth shelter

Regina celebs slay the runway for a cause WATCH: Regina celebrities slayed the runway in full drag at a fundraiser for Lulu’s Lodge. Taylor Rattray reports.

REGINA — Some of Regina’s best-known personalities worked the runway at “Walk the Walk,” a celebrity drag show and fundraiser for Regina’s LGBTQ2S+ youth.

Contestants and donations at the event itself brought in more than $61,000, shattering the $100,000 goal needed to pay off the house purchased by Lulu’s Lodge.

“We are still counting, but we are well over $61,000 raised for Lulu’s Lulu's Lodge,” Terry Van Mackelberg, also known by his drag persona Flo Mingo, wrote on Facebook. “We paid off their forever home. And it feels damn good.”

Van Mackelberg organized the event and performed alongside the slate of celebrities in full drag.

The event featured 12 local celebrities, including Mayor Sandra Masters, Morgan Campbell, anchor of CTV News Regina at 6 and Trent Wotherspoon, MLA for Regina Rosemont.

“If you have access to more people, and you have a voice that’s out in the community more, participating in something like this actually helps to advocate for that awareness, and to make everyone feel more included,” said Masters.

Tourism Saskatchewan’s Nathan Morrison as Aida Big Mac took home the crown after a top-three performance against CTV Regina’s Morgan Campbell and Nelson Bird.

According to the John Howard Society, which runs the lodge, the funds will offer the chance to be more be lenient with rent when individuals are transitioning to different housing placements or income sources.

“We don’t have any funding for the operations of the house, so now we can dedicate more to the operations of the home, so the staffing, the recreations,” said Tanna Young, director of social programs with the John Howard Society.

Celebrity participants were required to raise a minimum of $1,000 to enter the competition, while $2,000 raised afforded participants a local drag mentor. Celebrities who raised $5,000 were permitted to perform alongside their drag mentor and $10,000 raised bought them out of the competition.