The RubiGirls Make their Mark…and Dayton is PROUD!!

42 years in the making, Dayton’s hometown heroes, the RubiGirls, are finally getting the recognition they so deserve! Helping to raise nearly $4 million for non-profits and charities, the ‘Girls’ have proven they truly have found ‘A Different Way to Make A Difference!’ The group, which started on Rubicon Street in Dayton, in 1984,  found that during the late ’80s, the best way to get folks to open up about the HIV/AIDS crisis was through laughter. They began doing shows around the area which continued to gain momentum, and money. In those early years, the Girls were in demand at ‘Healing Weekends’ where people with HIV could get away and learn about new treatments, new therapies, make new friends….and be entertained by Rubi in the evenings. They were a beacon of peace and laughter for a time when there was little of either.  From there, the Girls began using any and all platforms available to bring relief to a population of people, and their families, that were facing tough times. Cost of medicines, housing, hospital stays….any and all things Rubi could help with, they did!

It was at Celebrity Night Club on North Main that things really took off! Packed houses, overflowing parking lots, and demands for more performances made for a group on the rise. In the 90’s, a documentary by Dayton Local Jonathan McNeal. entitled ‘The RubiGirls‘ hit screens worldwide. The film premiered in San Francisco in 2003, played in film festivals from Reno to Adelaide, Australia, and won awards in Atlanta, Long Island,

and Cleveland…and the celebrity status was set! The Girls, even today, make yearly appearances out of state, helping raise funds for non-profits in communities there. Today, the Girls, a bit older…the eldest being 63….still pride themselves on helping others. Moreso, the Girls are proud to shout from the rooftops, ‘We are From Dayton Baby!’

For Rubi, recently finding out, after 5 years of scrutiny, that they were receiving an Ohio Historical Marker, seemed surreal. For the troupe, it’s always been about finding fun with the family together…and of course, ‘fun-raising!’ This weekend, a permanent bronze marker will be set in Dayton to say ‘Thank You’ to the Girls! 42 years into a ‘charitable way of life,’ the RubiGirls have given to the city a reason to be Proud. It was in our city that this group of men committed to helping the community. They have done just that. A huge congratulations to them….we are all head over HEELS for you!

For more information or to donate to the RubiGirls, RubGirls Scholarshp or RubiGirls Foundation go to http://therubigirls.com.