By MO CRANKER on June 14, 2019.
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@MHNmocranker
Medicine Hat’s Pride festivities got a large boost within the last week from people across the country.
A GoFundMe Page was started roughly two weeks ago by a local group called Project Rainbow with the intentions of saving Medicine Hat’s Pride week.
The initial goal was $3,000 and as of Thursday afternoon it had surpassed that number by more than $300.
“I was shocked and it really filled my heart with joy to see the GoFundMe really start to pick up,”said Project Rainbow president Casper Cherwonogrodzky. “Just knowing that people can come together to make things happen like this really warms my heart.
“When we did that GoFundMe page it was looking like Pride Week may not happen – people came together and supported this and now we’re going to put on a great Pride event.”
For the past few years Medicine Hat’s Pride events have spanned over the course of a week and the funding gained this year will allow that to happen again.
“The money will go to venues, permits, decorations, film rights and then the leftover money will go to out-of-town performers and then local performers,” said Cherwonogrodzky. “All of the things that we usually do take money and without the funds I doubt it would have happened.
“People will always gather to celebrate Pride but I don’t think we would have been able to do a big show and festivities without the GoFundMe.”
Cherwonogrodzky says Pride is important for all communities around the world.
“People are diverse,” he said. “I think it’s important for people to know that there’s people in the community from all walks of life.
“It also shows that we have rights as LGBTQ people and that we are equal.”
Cherwonogrodzky says Pride Weel will take place in September, as it usually does.