Creating awareness for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues was the focus of the third-annual Small Victories Celebration Thursday evening in the Memorial Union.

About 150 people attended the event, which was sponsored by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services.

Travis Greene, LGBTSS coordinator, said the celebration is an excellent way to bring communities together, celebrate accomplishments, recognize work done throughout the previous year and energize members of the audience.

“Small Victories is a hallmark event for the LGBT [community],” he said. “Victories is only in its third year, and we have phone calls all of the time asking about it. With the cold Iowa weather in the winter, it gives a chance to rejuvenate the community.”

Several awards and scholarships were up for grabs this year at the celebration, such as the W. Houston Ally Award and the Scott Rohlf Presidential Leadership Initiative Award.

A focus of the event was a $5,000 grant, presented to Small Victories by US West. Teresa Wahlert, state vice president of US West, was the spotlight speaker for the evening.

Greene said the donation was used primarily for the event, purchasing banners, plaques and publicity plugs.

Small Victories began with a social, followed by a series of guest speakers, including Greene; Pete Englin, associate dean of students; Sarah Schweitzer, LGBT Ally Alliance president; Levi Richardson, LGBTSS student worker; Stacie Kagan, past LGBTSS coordinator and Missy Dittmer, the LesBiReal facilitator.

Angie Chipman, senior LGBTAA member, agreed that awareness is the main concern of Small Victories’ participants.

“Small Victories recognizes everyone’s work for the past year, and it is a very positive event for all of the Iowa State campus,” she said. “The atmosphere here has changed for the better in the past four years for the LGBT community.”