Just kidding! Here’s the real story on BRAS!
In February 2006, Deb threw a birthday party for Kelly at the New York Inn in Cockeysville, MD. Inspired by the number of women having so much fun dancing together, Melissa mused about how great it would be to organize a women’s dance, and recruited several friends at the party to form a dance committee.
The group (Jill & Laura, Deb & Kelly, Melissa & Rose, Jackie & Sue, and Elsie & Linda) took a big step by reserving the New York Inn for a dance on April 22, 2006. These women agreed to give it a try and front the money, if needed, to make the dance happen. The committee name “BRAS” (Baltimore Recreation Alternatives - “women supporting women”) was proposed by Deb and Kelly. Deb designed the logo and flyer which was adopted by the committee. Within two weeks, every one of the 120 available tickets had been sold. Despite monsoon-like weather, the dance was a great success!
Our dances still needed two things – a name, and more space to accommodate all the women who wanted to attend. The name we chose, JUGS (Just Us Gals) “fit” BRAS just right. The next location was the Holiday Inn, Towson. The Embassy Suites in Hunt Valley is our current location. Hilton Hotels, which owns the Embassy Suites, is a gay-friendly organization.
We look forward to seeing all our old friends and many new faces at every event. Thanks for supporting BRAS - “women supporting women”.
The raffle drawings at each dance have been able to support the following organizations: