Theme park enthusiast uses passion and art to fight hate
The Stop Hate fundraiser has donated close to $100,000 over the last four years to the Trevor Project
The Stop Hate fundraiser has donated close to $100,000 over the last four years to the Trevor Project
The Stop Hate fundraiser has donated close to $100,000 over the last four years to the Trevor Project
The federal government announced Wednesday that it's shutting down the national LGBTQ+ youth suicide lifeline on July 17.
, a national nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ young people, is one of several contact centers working with 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline, to help make up for the loss of that critical support.
One theme park enthusiast has turned her love of Orlando's theme park attractions into a major fundraiser for the organization. Most recently, she raised more than $25,000 for The Trevor Project.
"Every year, for the last four years, we have raised money for the Trevor Project, which is a nonprofit that helps suicide crisis for LGBTQ young people, a place for them to turn if they have nowhere else to turn," Alicia Stella said.
"Our fan community comes together, and we raise this money. And I found showing people in our fan community that they are accepted has been just as important as raising the money itself."
Through her , Stella has contributed nearly $100,000 to the Trevor Project over the last four years.
"I almost didn't start this four years ago, but I felt like there is so much misinformation and vitriol in the world, and young people are consuming it, and they're feeling less than or that something's wrong with them, and having a place to turn to," Stella said.
"I didn't even know if this would actually make a difference, and seeing that everyone in our fan community come together and raise this money, it's been an incredible feeling, and knowing that we're making just even a small difference in a young person's life."
People donate online or through the sale of prints by .
"We have some fan art related to the Muppets, fan art related to Epic Universe. And these art pieces are then sold, and 100% of the profits go to the Trevor Project, with the artist donating their time to create the art and their time packaging it and sending it out to all the buyers," Stella said.
"So, it's really a group like community project, and we're just lucky that we have such amazing artists here in the theme park fandom, because we sell out of a lot of this art within the first hour of our event, which runs all through June, because the demand is so high, and we've got a reputation for having some really cool art."
Studies from the Trevor Project indicate that LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-LGBTQ+ peers.
Stella emphasized that her fundraiser ensures the Trevor Project remains a safe, discreet resource for those in need.
"There are young people hiding and nowhere to turn, and they see the things on the news, and they see things on the internet. They see so much negativity that they think they're less than, and I need to speak out so that they know that they're not, and that we are just who we are," Stella said.
"This has helped me to be more out and to be more myself around others and know that I'm accepted. We're fans. We're all fans of theme parks, new rides, the haunted events like Halloween Horror Nights, and we want everyone to feel welcome, because this is an industry that employs a lot of diverse people, and we don't want the fans to feel like they can't be who they want to be or who they are."
Donations are accepted through the end of June.
