South Florida’s queens turned up the heat for a cause at Uncle Bob’s Birthday Bash, a glittering fundraiser benefiting the OutSFL Melissa St. John College Student Scholarship Fund.

Led by Velvet Lenore, reigning Mizz Out South Florida and a powerhouse in the local entertainment scene, the evening celebrated friendship, mentorship, and the transformative power of drag — raising $8,500 for queer students.

“We’re so thankful for the community coming out to support this event,” said OutSFL CEO Justin Wyse. “We raised so much more than we had even hoped for.”

The bash featured an all-star lineup of performers, including Melissa St. John, Quinn Lenore, J Wolf Lenore, Kimberly Venom, Angie Ovahness Pryce, and Cathy Craig, who delivered a mix of high-energy numbers and heartfelt tributes.

The presenting sponsor of the event was Adeline Jean Feeds. Other sponsors included Grieco Ford, and Flockfest.

Robert Cole, affectionately known as Uncle Bob, has long been a champion of the drag community and a close friend of St. John for more than 40 years.

“Uncle Bob is very close to my mother, Melissa. They’re basically brother and sister,” Lenore said. “When I first started doing drag and trying to find myself, he was with Melissa. He gave me some money when I needed it. He was there with encouragement, always had great words, and inspired me to know that I was OK.”

Lenore says the scholarship aims to help today’s young performers find the support she once lacked.

“When I was coming up, I didn’t have a scholarship to help me out,” she said. “I had to figure out everything on my own. I had to put myself through college because my family couldn’t afford to do it.”

Donations are still being accepted to support local LGBTQ students pursuing higher education. Donate at ourfund.fcsuite.com.

“We owe a big thanks to Robert for making this event possible,” Wyse said. “We are truly grateful for his support as well as all of the other sponsors.”

The application for scholarships is open now. The deadline to apply is Dec. 1.