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What is the Rainbow Ball Upstate Fundraiser?
The Rainbow Ball Upstate fundraiser is an annual event to support Uplift Outreach Center, the only LGBTQ+ support center in Upstate South Carolina. This event serves to fundraise for the many programs and outreach the Uplift provides to LGBTQ+ youth every year. The funds collected help us secure staff, provide supplies and snacks to the youth as well as help us secure additional funds to provide educational programming and mental health services to underserved youth in our community.
How can you help the Rainbow Ball Upstate succeed in its mission?
The best way to support this event is to attend or become a sponsor, although you can also donate silent auction items whose revenue supports Uplift Outreach Center. The event is typically formal attire, but there is no dress code. We are welcoming and inclusive to all and strive to create a fundraising event that is fun, meaningful and purpose driven. By becoming a sponsor you will be supporting the LGBTQ+ youth and strengthening our community as a whole. We have several sponsorship levels for both corporate and individual sponsors as well as individual tickets for the general public. It’s a great time for a really fabulous cause!
Who Is Uplift Outreach Center
The Uplift Outreach Center is proud to celebrate five years of providing vital support to LGBTQ+ youth in Upstate South Carolina. As the region’s only youth-focused LGBTQ+ center, Uplift offers a safe and inclusive space where young people and their families can access mentoring, peer counseling, tutoring, gender-affirming programs, and transformative learning opportunities.
Our Mission
Uplift Outreach Center is dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ youth by fostering personal growth, educational success, and mental well-being. Through our programs and services, we strive to build a more equitable and affirming community for all.
Since our founding in 2019, we have touched the lives of nearly 300 LGBTQ+ youth in the Upstate community. Uplift was inspired by the vision of Deb Foreman and the late Eric Nolley, who sought to create a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ youth after two heartbreaking losses in our community. Although Eric passed in 2022, his legacy lives on through our work and the hope we bring to the youth we serve.
Your support ensures that this essential lifeline continues to grow and thrive, creating brighter futures for LGBTQ+ youth in our community.
Why Supporting LGBT+ Your is Important
The 2024 Trevor Project’s survey on LGBTQ+ youth mental health highlights alarming statistics:
Gender-affirming spaces and inclusive communities play a critical role in reducing suicide risk among transgender and nonbinary youth. By sponsoring the Rainbow Ball, you are making a direct impact on creating these life-saving environments, affirming the worth and dignity of our LGBTQ+ youth, and showing them they are cherished members of our community.
How You Can Help Uplift Outreach Center Support LGBTQ+ Youth
Your sponsorship to the Rainbow Ball Upstate will play a vital role in helping us achieve our 2025 fundraising goal of $35,000, creating a lasting and meaningful impact for years to come. Together, we can ensure that LGBTQ+ youth have access to the supportive, affirming spaces they need and deserve.
Every dollar raised will directly support our transformative programs, including mental health services, gender-affirming initiatives, educational workshops, and community-building social events.
Your generosity fuels hope and empowers the next generation to thrive.
Entertainment

The Synergy Twins will return for the 5th Annual Rainbow Ball in 2025

Layton Chaney 2024 Rainbow Ball Emcee
Sponsorships Available
Please complete this form and we will reach out to you regarding available sponsorships.