The City of West Hollywood rung in the New Year with a virtual drug and alcohol-free annual #BOOM! Event.
This New Year’s Eve, individuals were invited to join in the fun and celebrate the first moments of 2022 virtually at #BOOM!, West Hollywood’s premier alcohol- and drug-free New Year’s Eve event. This year’s celebration brought hundreds of people together online for a fabulous celebration and an alcohol-free midnight toast. #BOOM! In Your Living Room took place on the evening of Friday, December 31, 2021,at 9:30 p.m. and until just after midnight on Saturday, January 1, 2022.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the spread of both the Delta and Omicron variants, this year everyone was urged to join #BOOM! from their living room (or other comfortable space). #BOOM! was livestreamed at boomweho.com, and the first 300 registrants received a Party in a Box with decorations and other merchandise.
The free gala affair featured celebrity guests, music videos, live musical performances, a midnight countdown and was hosted by drag musical artist Salina EsTitties.
“The holiday season can be a particularly challenging time for people with substance abuse or mental health issues, let alone the additional stress of the COVID pandemic,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne. “The City is thrilled to once again support #BOOM!, an event that has brought together community in a safe and sober space and promoted well-being for so many years.”
“As we all ring-in the New Year, it is critical that there’s also space to celebrate New Year’s Eve in an alcohol- and drug-free environment,” said Councilmember John M. Erickson. “The City of West Hollywood has a longstanding tradition of supporting our sober community and #BOOM! is just another way that we continue to care for everyone in our community while bringing people together safely and with a whole lot of (virtual) fun.”
#BOOM! was a safe space for anyone who wanted to celebrate the New Year without the presence of alcohol or drugs. The event was spearheaded by the West Hollywood Project, an initiative funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, to reduce alcohol and drug-related harms in West Hollywood.
