Arts & Entertainment
Ellen DeGeneres surprises local gay dads with generous gift
the couple have launched Comfort Cases to aid foster kids

(Screenshot via YouTube.)
Ellen DeGeneres shocked two gay dads with a generous gift on Monday’s episode of “The Ellen DeGenres Show.”
Rob and Reece Scheer from Darnestown, Md. shared their story of how they went from a family of two to welcoming four kids into their home.
The couple explained they had only wanted to adopt one child from the foster system but received a call for a brother and sister. Not wanting to separate the kids, they decided to adopt both.
Three months later, the Scheers received a call for a six-month-old and a two-year-old and the youngest kids became the new additions to the family.
The Scheers were honest that it wasn’t always easy raising kids from foster care.
“When the kids arrived, we knew that they came with baggage, from homes that just lacked love in general,” the couple told DeGeneres. “We had a child who was hoarding food in her bedroom because she was scared she wasn’t going to eat, a son who couldn’t talk or walk, another child that didn’t know what it was to hug.”
Despite the challenges, Rob says their children are their greatest joy.
“That’s what family’s about, you just make it work,” Rob says. “They don’t care that we’re white and we’re gay, they care that we love them. People say all the time that our kids won the lottery but we won the lottery.”
Rob says he was also a foster child and remembered having to put his belongings into a trash bag. Years later when his kids arrived at his home, Rob noticed they also carried trash bags filled with their belongings.
The Scheers decided to launch Comfort Cases, an initiative to provide luggage for foster kids. Inside, there would be a brand new pair of pajamas, a book, a blanket and a toothbrush. A GoFundMe has been launched to raise funds.
DeGeneres gifted the couple $10,000 and $40,000 worth of Samsonite luggage to aid their venture.
Comfort Cases is available in D.C., Maryland and Virginia but the Scheers aspire to reach the entire United States.
Watch below.
Celebrate the start of Pride month at the Queer Magic Dance Party at the Black Cat on Saturday, June 6. Doors open at 9 p.m.
There will be pole performances and demonstrations, a free photo booth with glitter bar, a queer vendor market, tarot readings by Skye Marinda Tarot, a drag performance by Sapphica, and dancing to a blend of smooth R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop and pop by Slammer & Saba. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 (plus fees) in advance, purchased here.
Local queer journalists will celebrate Pride this weekend at the annual NLGJA-DC Pride Happy Hour event at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, June 6, 3-5 p.m. Admission is free.
Out & About
DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday
Annual event held at historic Congressional Cemetery
The 14th annual DC Front Runners’ Pride 5K run/walk is set for Saturday, June 6 at historic Congressional Cemetery. The race starts and ends at the cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.) and passes through scenic D.C., along the Anacostia River trail and the fields at RFK campus. Registration ends Friday at 11:59 p.m.
Runners can pick up their race packets on Saturday from 7-8:30 a.m. at Congressional Cemetery; the race begins at 9 a.m.
The fee to run the 5K in person is $65 ($35 for those under age 20). Proceeds benefit local LGBTQ nonprofits, including Thrive DC, Wanda Alston Foundation, Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels, SMYAL, and Team DC. Visit DCFrontRunners.org for more information.
