Kat Champagne went from a concerned mother to an all-around volunteer and advocate for the SOGIE community. Kat’s involvement was wide and varied. Kat started with her involvement with the Perceptions Transgender Groups where she took an active position to broaden its scope, ensure the physical safety, and advocate for the betterment of the trans community. Kat was a member of the 2018 Pride Committee and was vital in making decisions that shaped the event to become stronger. Kat was on the 2017 Perceptions Holiday Gala Committee and made it her mission to gain as many silent auction items from our Friday Night Dinner hosts as possible and was very successful. Kat organized the Perceptions Friday Night Dinner, one of Perceptions longest running programs and expanded the selection of restaurants to gain more diversity of selection. She advocated the change of the name of this program to “Friday Night Out” so that offerings could be expanded to include events such as “Game Night”. Kat and her son, Jamie, were members of Perceptions Harmony Diversity Choir. Kat organized the Perceptions Thanksgiving Gathering in 2017 and 2018 where she cooked food and meats and led marketing for the event. In 2018, when she was ill, she put on her “advocacy hat” and approached The Savory and through her advocacy abilities she managed to get the meal donated from them. Kat was a Perceptions Event Representative where she volunteered to represent Perceptions at various community events running tables. Kat was also a member of SOGIE YAK and PFLAG. Kat was always looking for new information and partnerships. She made connections both locally, regionally, and nationally. Kat passed away in December 2018 and is dearly missed by her Perceptions friends and family.
