BREMERTON — A semi-formal Spring Fling dance is going to be held at from 8 p.m. to midnight March 12, in Olympic College’s student center to raise money for an LGBTQ+ scholarship.

Hosted by the MOGAI (Marginalized orientations, genders and identities) and Allies group, the dance is a fundraiser, and will include refreshments and entertainment in the price of a ticket. There will be a DJ provided by Mastermind Karaoke, dancing, a raffle for a “date night” basket, professional photographs.

Anyone 16-years-old and up can attend. Tickets range from $12 to $15, with a discount for Olympic College students and tickets purchased in advance. They can be bought at the Cashier’s Office at Olympic College, or at the door the night of the event.

All proceeds from the raffle and any donations gathered from the pictures and performances will benefit the LGBTQ+ scholarships through the financial aid office at Olympic College.

“How much the scholarship is for depends on how much we make,” said Katrina Lund, vice president of the MOGAI club. “Last year, it was $1,300. It really depends on turnout.”

Lund said that last year’s fundraiser was a drag show, which she performed him. She said they made a lot of money at the event, but that “drag shows are kind of not everybody’s thing.”

“We wanted to do a more family friendly event,” she said. “We hope to bring out not just LGBTQ+ community out, but also allies or supporters.”

The MOGAI and Allies club, Lund said, used to be called the Gay Straight Alliance, but they changed the name in order to be more inclusive. The club is a “support group and safe space,” Lund said, with a purpose of “education and outreach.”

Lund said the club has many events on the Olympic College campus to raise awareness and offer support. A recent event included doing a paper boat launch for the Transgender Day of Remembrance Nov. 20, to honor and remember “transgender people, gender-variant individuals and those perceived to be transgender who have been murdered because of hate,” according to the Human Rights Commission website, www.hrc.org.

“We do a lot of things like that,” Lund said, “educating our people about how to be better allies … (and) just to help people feel a little less marginalized. Outreach to help people feel more included.”

She said clubs like MOGAI and Allies, and education and outreach events, are “incredibly important for the community.”

“When you’re talking about someone who has a marginalized identity … a little help is just an equalizer in our society,” Lund said.

The scholarship the club is raising money for is one way they try and help provide equal opportunities for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“There are marginalized people who … might be facing discrimination, lack of support, that sort of thing,” Lund said. “Our job is to try and help people get the same opportunities.”

For more information about the MOGAI and Allies club, join the Olympic College MOGAI and Allies Facebook group at on.fb.me/1p1O4yK.