Martha Wash (photo: Courtesy, jwmgmtinc.com), the vocalist behind the classic, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” will be a featured performer.

By BOB KECSKEMETY

This President’s Day Weekend (Feb. 17- 21) unveils a new fundraising effort, FORTITUDE, which will benefit The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), Pride Center at Equality Park and the Fort Lauderdale-Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The weekend will include a film festival, comedy night, live concert, women’s and men’s pool parties, sunset cocktails, brunch and nightclub/ bar events.

The two main events are the comedy night and the live concert. Comedy Night will be on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Parker Playhouse. The evening will feature Judy Gold, Alec Mapa and Julie Goldman. Gold is a two-time Emmy winner for her work on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” and a GLAAD awardwinner. Mapa’s hilarious one-man show, “I Remember Mapa,” won the L.A. Weekly-award for Best Solo Show, but he is best known as the catty series regular Suzuki St. Pierre in TV’s “Ugly Betty.” Goldman is an award-winning comedian, now in her third season in Logo’s“Big Gay Sketch Show” and appears on Comedy Central with her featured stand-up, “Live at Gothan.”

“I am so excited to be involved in Fortitude,” says Julie Goldman. “Not just for the balmy Ft. Lauderdale weather and gayness, but to be a part of a great organization working so hard to do good within our community.”

The Sunday, Feb. 20 live music concert at the War Memorial Auditorium in Holiday Park will feature Taylor Dayne, Martha Wash and special guest appearances for a full night of musical performances.

Martha Wash is the powerhouse vocalist behind the classic, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” and has had many additional No. 1 hits. Three-time Grammy Award nominee Taylor Dayne has had 17 top 10 hits and has sold more than 75 million albums and singles.

“I have always been a huge advocate for equality and gay rights,” says Dayne. “It is really important to take things from a bigger perspective. We have to reach out past our own internal fears and find the tools and strengths to get through the difficult situations. We just have to work through them.”

The creator of FORTITUDE Weekend is Nick De Biase of Centaur Entertainment, the largest LGBT record label. “The concept arose when both of my parents were dying from cancer at the end of 2009,” De Biase said. “My mother, Lydia, was a very giving person. Before she passed away, I told her that I would establish a foundation in her name as my last ‘gift’ to her — to carry on her legacy of giving and to honor her memory.”

De Biase said that his original concept would be a fundraising concert, however, after talking with Fort Lauderdale officials, he figured the concept should be expanded into an entire weekend of events. He says that the name FORTITUDE was chosen for this weekend of events because the word connotes strength, heart, determination, will power, courage, spirit and toughness — all words that also define the LGBT community in terms of what they have to face and overcome in life – and the “fort” doubles back on the city Fort Lauderdale.

All the funds from FORTITUDE Weekend are being directed back to the charities.

“We are expecting several thousand people from all over the country to attend the many different events for FORTITUDE Weekend,” said Cindy Shaw, who is part of the production team for FORTITUDE Weekend. “FORTITUDE is about raising money for worthy charities, but is also about coming out as a community to laugh, to play and to be entertained. The vision has always been one of being a weekend of entertainment for women and men, and we’re working to ensure that everyone has a great time.”