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The Jay Lawton Community Service Award

Jay Lawton

LABB Community Service Award Recipient 2011

 

If you look back upon the years since the LABB had it's humble beginnings, there was never a shortage of incredible, vibrant images available to tell our story.  And the majority of those photos came from the extremely talented Jay Lawton.  If a picture is worth a thousand words then Jay's work would be a library. And while his photos have documented a wonderful period of the LA Leather history, his photos of our early events have been invaluable in preserving the history of our club.  Jay was the first to be given the LABB Community Service Award and now in 2013 we are proud to name this award after him, the Jay Lawton Community Service Award.

Steve Ganzell

LABB Community Service Award Recipient 2012

As past chair of the LALC Steve Ganzell has had an impact on many of the titleholders in the LA title circuit.  So it should come as no surprise how vital his contribution to​ the LABB has been. His help in getting the LABB started was invaluable, his pre-LA Leather speeches helped keep our contestants grounded, and his humor and pathos keeps us going.  We were honored to recognize his service to us and the entire LA Leather community with this award.​

Thomas Trafelet
The Jay Lawton Community Service Award Recipient 2013

In his many years as a member of the LA Leather Community, Thomas Trafelet has given much of his valuable time and amazing energy to make sure events have gone off not only with ease but also with a creative flair.  He has put in countless hours behind the scenes to make sure the leather organizations he has been a part of will continue to grow and flourish.  And much of the work has been something that the public rarely even knows about. It is especially fitting that as we rename our award the Jay Lawton Community Service Award, Thomas has had a major hand in preserving the work of our late friend and photographer for generations to come.  And although some may find it odd for us to give an award to one of our own members, we are proud to recognize the contribution that Thomas has made, not just to the LABB, but to the LA Leather Community on the whole.

David Alexson
The Jay Lawton Community Service Award Recipient 2014

If there is one person in the LA leather community that we can count on to lend a helping hand, it is David Alexson.  Always ready to take initiative and pitch in without being asked, David has consistently been an unsung hero in making events hugely successful for every leather organization of which he is a member.  The LABB, Tom of Finland Foundation, and Avatar LA all owe David a debt of gratitude.  We are happy to take this opportunity to shine a small spotlight on our favorite Gnome.  If only we can get him to stand still...

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