A lively crowd gathered in Dayton on Sunday to celebrate a major milestone for The Rubi Girls.
The comedic drag troupe was presented with a historic marker from the Ohio History Connection.
The marker was awarded to the Rubi Girls Foundation because of their 40-plus years of fundraising for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and other LGBTQ+ charities.
MORE: Behind the wigs and glitter: Dayton's Rubi Girls hit 40 years of fundraising and entertaining
Rubi Girls Co-founder Josh Stucky said those efforts would continue with the community's help.
“We may have started by cracking jokes and beating up those wigs but it’s all based on one thing… loving each other," Stucky told the crowd. "That’s really what it is. We have a great love for our city, for our community, for each other. Dayton is an amazing place. Say what you will about Dayton, Ohio… We are gritty that is for sure but guess what else we are? There is no city in the world whether you love or hate people you still wrap your arms around them and say you belong here and it’s a wonderful feeling."
Through their shows - including the annual “The Show Must Go On” – the foundation has raised more than $4 million dollars. The foundation’s website says an average of 70 organizations benefit annually.
The historic marker is located near the entrance to the Rubi Girls clubhouse on Wayne Avenue.
