NWPA Pride says thank you for an amazing 2022!
2022 has been a tremendous year for the NW PA Pride Alliance. Thankfully, with Covid-19 numbers lessening and the development of new vaccines, we were able to bring back some of our annual events, and with the help of some new friends, we were able to expand what was offered this year.
Coming out of the pandemic, the NW PA Pride Alliance wanted to facilitate some new changes. One thing that became evident was our website was no longer supporting not only our organization, but also our community as well. With this in mind, the board worked with Epic Web Studios to develop a new platform for us as we move into the future. To go along with the launch of the new nwpapride.org, the board commissioned Whee! Design and board member Patrick Hiller to create a new logo for the Pride Alliance. The former logo of the lighthouse with the rainbow shining forth had been with the Alliance for many years, and this was seen as a good time to make a fresh start. The new logo with the depiction of northwestern Pennsylvania layered in the Progress Pride flag colors in a circular formation will showcase our commitment to the region and the members of the LGBTQIA+ community for years to come.
The NW PA Pride Alliance has a longstanding tradition of helping others in the community. We partnered once again with GEAE (Greater Erie Alliance for Equality), Transfamily of NW PA and Erie Gay News to host a Winter Coat and Winter Boot Drive to help others stay warm during Erie's cold winter months. Nonperishable food items were collected and given to the Erie Second Harvest Food Bank to help give food security to those who may need assistance. The Alliance also worked to help send young LGBTQIA+ youth back to school with supplies in a partnership with Compton's Table.
Being able to safely come together for some social time after being isolated with Covid was also something that was very important this year. That was why we were excited to partner with Erie's local sports teams; the Erie Otters, Seawolves and Roller Derby to host LGBTQIA+ special events during their seasons. We also continued to partner with Julian's Bar and Grill in Meadville to host monthly Happy Hours. This has been so well received that NW PA Pride Alliance was approached by Cussewago Creek Distillery asking if they could also host the Happy Hour. This event now alternates between both locations the fourth Wednesday of every month.
The NW PA Pride Alliance also continued this year to help sponsor the Erie County HIV/AIDs Awareness Walk held in May as well as the county's HIV/AIDs Memorial held on World AIDs Day, December 1st. We also help to sponsor the Miss Erie Pageant.
Summer would not be summer without the annual Pride Picnic held at the Rotary Pavilion on Presque Isle, or our annual Pride Day at Waldameer. This year we were also proud to have return the Drive Your Pride where we invite people to decorate their cars and drive around Presque Isle.
During the early part of the year, Underdog BBQ approached the board asking if they could host an event at their West Eighth Street location. The Pride Alliance was excited about this and choose to offer an opportunity to get some information from community resources like Journey to a Trauma-Informed Life, Erie Community College, UPMC Smoking Cessation and free STI testing from Central Outreach Erie.
The NW PA Pride Alliance works hard to increase visibility for all LGBTQIA+ individuals. It is with this in mind we march in the annual Fourth of July Parade in Millcreek and the Penn West Edinboro Homecoming Parade. With our growing presence in Crawford County, we were also happy to be part of the Meadville Halloween Parade for the first time.
It was after some conversations during the Happy Hours in Meadville that members of the board were approached and asked if NW PA Pride Alliance would be interested in helping host a local festival in Meadville. This was how the idea for the Meadville Pride and Street Fair came about and later came to fruition this past July.
Of course, our largest and most involved event of the year is the annual Erie Pride Parade and Pridefest in Perry's Square. This year with the sponsorship of Safe Journey, Central Outreach Erie and partnership of the Erie Playhouse Erie celebrated its largest Pride ever with roughly 5,000 members of the community present.
The NW PA Pride Alliance is grateful to all of our donors and sponsors who help improve the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community in the greater Erie area. We stand committed to fostering equality, respect and diversity throughout events and organization. We would like to additionally thank the following donors who help to make achieving this mission possible.
Rainbow level: Erie County Health Department (ECDH), Erie Food Co-op, Giant Eagle Pride Business Resource Group, Highmark blue Cross Blue Shield, NWPA Tobacco Control Program, PNC Bank, UPMC Hamot, and Wegmans,
Violet level: Erie Gay News, Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE), Lake Erie Counseling Associates, Lion's Den, and Whee! Design.
Blue level: Andora's Bubble, Jones Pond Campground & RV Park, Julian's Bar & Grill, and Mooney's Bakery.
Yellow level: Signature Concessions
Orange level: Sam's Club and Tammie Kraus
If you would like to help support and donate to help keep NW PA Pride events happening, please consider giving a donation on our website nwpapride.org.