City Of Palm Springs Honors Dinah Shore Weekend Founder

As thousands arrive in the desert for this weekend’s Dinah Shore Weekend, Palm Springs city leaders will get ready to honor the woman who helped bring them to the desert.

Mayor Pro Tem Ginny Foat will declare Club Skirts founder Mariah Hanson as the city’s Honorary Deputy Mayor, said Palm Springs spokeswoman Amy Blaisdell.

The ceremony will take place as the Club Skirts event kicks off on Thursday at the Riviera Resort, she said.

?I?m thrilled to receive this wonderful honor from the City of Palm Springs,? said Hanson. ?The Dinah is now a hugely profitable and world-famous 22-year tradition — and we?re here to stay.?

The event was centered around the Kraft Nabisco Championship weekend, which was formerly known as the LPGA’s Dinah Shore Tournament.

The tournament, alone, brings international attention to the Coachella Valley, and The Dinah, which is targeted predominantly lesbians, brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars more to the city’s economy, Blaisdell said.

This year Club Skirts will host its 22nd Annual Dinah Shore Weekend bash at the Palm Springs Convention Center beginning at 8 p.m. on Saturday with the ?Dinah Goes to Rio? dance party,? featuring headliner Chaka Khan, known for such hits as ?I Feel for You,? ?Tell Me Something Good? and “I’m Every Woman.”