Mama Alto has initiated fundraising for the Victorian Pride Centre’s Rooftop Pavilion in loving memory of community members, Ayman Barbaresco (who passed away in 2020) and Yvonne Gardner (who passed away in 2018)
The Pride Centre Rooftop will be THE events place for Melbourne’s LGBTIQ+ community, a perfect platform for parties, events, happenings, chilling and eventually, community gardening. It’s a space of 1093m2 with spectacular views of Port Phillip Bay and Melbourne’s CBD skyline.
The rooftop requires additional infrastructure of a Pavilion to make it suitable for all-weather events. Jazz singer, cabaret artiste and beloved Melbourne diva-about-town Mama Alto, is joining forces with the Pride Centre to launch a fundraising campaign that aims to create a Barbaresco Gardner Pavilion, commemorating two important and well-loved community members in the LGBTIQ+ community, Yvonne Gardner and Ayman Barbaresco.
Mama Alto, “Ayman Barbaresco and Yvonne Gardner, were brilliant and beloved members of our communities. They both gave so much to so many through their seemingly endless volunteer work with many LGBTQIA+ organisations – including many who will call the Victorian Pride Centre home – and they were friends to so many of us. They were at the heart of many of our communities, and so it will be a beautiful and fitting tribute that the new rooftop pavilion at the heart of the Victorian Pride Centre be named in their honour – a lasting and enduring memorial to these two magnificent people. As a place for our communities to gather, celebrate, and come together, we ask you to join with us and the Yvonne & Ayman Giving Circle to raise the funds to support building the Rooftop Pavilion and have it named the Barbaresco Gardner Pavilion”.
Ayman and Yvonne’s families are highly supportive of the campaign. Anna Barbaresco: “It is my honour for Mama Alto to propose my son, Ayman, for this. I wish you love and strength to be able to continue with your great work for the communities”. Leeanne Smith, niece of Yvonne: “The family feel honoured that Yvonne ‘s life will be celebrated through the joint naming of the rooftop pavilion. I am sure she would have been “tickled pink” to be remembered this way”.
Mama has set up The Yvonne & Ayman Giving Circle on the Pride Centre’s Pride Registry which members of the community can donate towards. Fundraising events will be happening at the Pride Centre from July to October – head over to The Yvonne & Ayman Giving Circle Facebook page for updates.
Make a contribution to the Barbaresco Gardner Pavilion HERE.
Image credit: Sanjeev Singh, Andy Miller, BAU Architects