Crossdressing in the name of our craft

So to help young journalists secure internships, I'm going to be dressing in drag this year.

Actually it's part of the Hawaii chapter's annual fundraiser for internships across the state. It's almost time for our annual "Gridiron" show, where we take tried-and-true musical favorites (from broadway hits to the Pussycat Dolls) and rewrite the lyrics to reflect the year's biggest (and funniest) news stories. Naturally, that means barbs toward public officials and local celebrities.

Every year, one broadcaster always dressed up as our graceful and stern governor Linda Lingle, and he was always a dead ringer. He moved, so now we're left without a governor. Instead, we got a number where we're all trying out for her part.

Also our biggest number is probably a spoof on "Bohemian Rhapsody," retitled "Rail Rhapsody." It's mostly about the back-and-forth political wranglings between the Honolulu city council and mayor about raising excise taxes for a monorail system that benefits a specific part of the island and nowhere else.

Most of the public officials and some private sector bigwigs often attend. Some companies sponsor us as well. But all the proceeds go toward funding internships across the state for the next summer.

I was hoping to use my guitar-slinging, harmonica-blowing skills, as this is my first year, but alas, their vision is ultimately me in high heels. Here's the MySpace profile for the show. What unique things does your local chapter do?