Brother Help Thyself to give awards, grants during ceremony in Baltimore

Brother Help Thyself, a grant-giving charity that supports LGBT- and HIV/AIDS-related operations, will distribute several awards and grants Saturday during a ceremony in Baltimore.

Bradley Hill, the group’s vice president, said the 2 p.m. ceremony at the Hippo Club is free and includes dancing, comedy and other entertainment as several local individuals, businesses and organizations are recognized and supported.

“These are the folks who get their hands dirty doing the hard work to make the Baltimore and D.C. area a better place,” he said.

Awards to be unveiled include a plaque in memory of Larry Stansbury, a former Brother Help Thyself director; the Anthony J. Bachrach Award for outstanding individual volunteer contribution; the Founder’s Award for outstanding non-profit contribution; the George Dotson Award for outstanding business contribution to the community; and the Billie Collison Award for outstanding progress in the community.

“All of these awards are really nice, big plaques, which represent the gratitude of the entire GLBT community, not just Brother Help Thyself,” Hill said. “The award winners deserve all the public recognition they can get.”

Hill said grants totaling “tens of thousands of dollars” also will be distributed during the ceremony to local LGBT and HIV/AIDS grassroots and startup non-profits.