VA Pride Festival 2010

The VA Pride Board of Directors is please to announce the 2010 VA Pride Festival, being held on

September 25th 2010!

Times and location are still to being finalized.

Sponsors, venders and entertainment groups should mark their calendars NOW!

For more information, email the VA Pride Board and follow updates on GayPrideVirginia.com

How does GPV do all that we do?

Gay Pride Virginia is able to provide an annual Pride festival and scholarship program soley through community support, sponsorships, donation and fundraising. This means that we can not do it without YOUR help! Below (with 2009 info to come), you’ll find financial records that illustrate how funds were allocated for the 2008 and 2009 Pride Seasons.

-The Gay Pride VA Board

2008-990-details

2008-990ez

THANK YOU from Gay Pride Virginia / Pride Recap

PRIDE 2009

 

 

What a tremendous effort we saw in our celebration of VA Pride! For the first time ever we saw Mother Nature challenge us in a way she had been threatening to in many years prior to this one!  The result was one were we saw the tireless efforts of GCCR and GPV staff and volunteers culminate in an effort that led to the effective transfer of a show from an outdoor to indoor setting in a matter of 40 minutes. Truly this effort ranks right up there with one of the most incredible accomplishments I have ever seen surrounding Pride.

 

This year was about grass roots efforts! Corporate sponsorship was well off for GPV, as mirrors other comparable Pride organizations such as Baltimore, and Memphis. Both the GCCR and Capital One renewed their commitment to the Celebration of Diversity in the Commonwealth. I am confident that this year’s event went a long way to demonstrate just how dedicated GPV is to that shared vision and how committed our leaders are to being the ideal stewards of that public trust. In fact, I was approached by many of our vendors who voiced their great satisfaction with the event, and noted how impressed they were with the evident workload that was universally shared by all committed parties, both from GPV and the GCCR. I expect that we shall see greatly renewed interest from silver level sponsors and up for the 2010 season.

 

Specific areas of improvement this year are notable. Two areas that standout for unique recognition are vendor organization and volunteer coordination. GPV saw a double-digit percentage increase in vendors from its 2009 season. It was thru the efforts of Leonard Richard, Wes Brown, Jason Williams, and John Martin that we were able to accommodate the increase vendor demand, and deliver an organizational process that was superior to any previous year. Leonard picked up and led the effort leading up to, and on the day of the event. Jason and Wes came onboard newly as of 2009 and really helped contribute to and manage the vision. John was with us coordinating the backend all day, and closed out the night. The four of them were a blur of activity on Saturday! Scott Sibley stepped up to contribute his leadership as our first ever Volunteer Coordinator. This position had been in high demand for the last 3 years, and we finally found the right leader, and the right vision in Scott. Upon arrival to the Center on Saturday morning, I found an eager group of volunteers already working at 7:30 am! GPV has never had the manpower or the skill sets to realize the value of this role until now. Scott brings organizational experience from his current leadership of Aidswalk Richmond to bear in this visible and key role.

 

Our attendance was off sadly because we started the day off rainy and gray. We ended the day with a respectable number that surprised us all given the weather challenges. Again, those that braved the elements left with sense of the vision that GPV brings forward. One were all members of the LGBTQ community have a voice and a perspective that is valuable. Our mission is to most effectively provide an outlet for the greatest majority of our Commonwealth to celebrate LGBTQ Culture and Community. In that effort, I am confident that our shared 2009 Pride Festival was a great success. At our Pride gay men and women of all colors and backgrounds may find common bonds with the trans community. Queer and questioning teens may be Proud of the battles that the drag queens fought for the rest of us in the early days of our movement. And finally, we may all be confident that there is such a thing as a driving LGBTQ Culture that unites us all in a common mission to realize civil rights for all people, everywhere.

 

 

 

 

Proudly,

 

 

 

David S. Ryder

Past Chair, Pride Coordinator

 

 

Additional thanks-

 

·The GPV Board

·The staff and volunteers of the GCCR, specifically Jay, Bob, and Cindy! 

·All of the vendors who supported us and were so quick to accommodate the switch    -indoors

·Capital One

·Bank of America

·All GPV volunteers who worked tirelessly Friday night and Saturday

·City of Richmond Police

·All the Richmond area bars, and bar owners who donate space, marketing, time and resources-

 

Babes

Barcode

Club Colors

Godfrey’s

Nations

 

·Stagemasters for sound and staging and The Prop Shop for those wonderful tents!

·Ed and his team from NuWear

·All of the amazing talent who donated their time!

·Each and every member of the Community who voiced support this year and constructive critique for the 2010 season!

 

Note* GPV holds meetings monthly that are open to the public. These meetings are held on the first Sunday of every month, unless otherwise noted prior to on the GPV website. We are always looking for new board members from within our Community. Come out and lend a hand!

 

Updates may be found at www.gaypridevirginia.com