Divergent Donations Foundation of Chelmsford Reaches New Goal

March 6, 2017

Chelmsford residents Jeph and Kevin Barry are titleholders in a yearly fundraising contest held in Provincetown in February. They are known in the community as "Mr. and Mr. Snowbound 2016". The first ever couple to be selected to hold a title normally reserved for a single person, their mission as 2016’s titleholders was to "change the face" of the leather community in Provincetown. In accordance with this goal, they have collected over $73,000 in resources for the purpose of providing medication to HIV patients around the world who need them. Their efforts are helping to save the lives of many HIV/AIDS sufferers the world over. They donated these to Aid for AIDS International, based in New York City, via the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, based in Provincetown and Hyannis. The leather community is a perpetually changing one. It is a community that thrives on social interaction, a sense of being, and a true sense of community unlike any other.

The Barrys have formed the Divergent Donations Foundation in order to facilitate their fundraising and medication collection efforts. The foundation operates as a non-profit organization for this purpose.

On February 25 in Provincetown, the Barrys turned over their title and shared a self-produced short documentary film of their efforts over the year with an audience of hundreds. They also held a thank-you cocktail party for their sponsors, donors, benefactors, and friends of their organization, Divergent Donations Foundation, to which Boston-based 90+ Cellars generously donated wine for the event.

During the event, both Jeph and Kevin encouraged everyone in attendance to be “divergent” in nature. By this they meant that people should choose a “different path” to help both create and sustain an effort that will help many and outlast themselves, just as they had done as Mr. and Mr. Snowbound 2016. It was noted that, during changing times, the worst place to be is standing still. Jeph and Kevin congratulated Watertown’s Eric Farkas as the new Mr. Snowbound 2017 and encouraged him to continue in their “divergent” footsteps going forward.

Divergent Donations Foundation continues as an organization aimed at collecting medications, funds, and other resources in order to provide these to people the world over whose lives depend on them. Their affiliation with Aid for AIDS International will continue through 2017. A number of fundraising activities are planned this year.