270 enjoy food and fun at Pride Picnic

by Mike Mahler

Under warm sunny skies, the 15th Annual Pride Erie Picnic took place June 2 at the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle State Park. About 270 people representing many different aspects of the gay community and their supporters attended this year's event.

Food donations were also collected for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwestern PA. This year's total of 153 pounds of food was an all time record.

Businesses and organizations with tables at the event included Community Health Net, Equality Advocates of Pennsylvania, Erie County Department of Health, Erie Gay News, Gaudenzia Crossroads/SHOUT Outreach, PFLAG Erie/Crawford County and Value All Families Coalition. Both WICU TV-12 and WJET TV-24 had coverage, and WICU also included footage of setting up for the Family Portrait.

Of course, the Erie Pride Picnic would not be possible without the generous support of our donors. Contributing to this year's picnic were Trance Night Club, Zone Dance Club, Uncle Pete's Kitchen, Coca-Cola Erie, Wegman's - Peach St., Cobb's Second Time Around, Jerome Arnold, LMT/Lake Erie Spine and Injury Center, Erie Sisters, GLENDA Northwest, Plaza Lanes (Meadville), Two Friends Italian Market, Pie in the Sky Café, Blue Heron Inn, Papa Joe's Pepperoni Café (Downtown), All Gay Pride Merchandise, Wal-Mart (Peach St.), Williams Gardening Services and Say What? Productions.

The Watchfire Alliance of Chautauqua County, NY presented a fun comedy improv workshop. About 12 people tried this out and had a great time. Many thanks to Kate and Bethany Robson for organizing this.

As always, many volunteers keep the event going. Thanks go out to Brian and Larry, Gregg (who made the yummy Sloppy Joe's), John, Dok, Jamie, Joshua, Rachel, Gregory and Rebecca (aka the Hibbs family), Jeff, Gary, Peter, Brian, Deb Spilko and James von Loewe (our roving photographers), Nicholas Keech, Ashlee, Cristin, Millie, Keva, Michelle Haskell and Lori Horner, Heather and Tara, Dan Burdick, Collette, Angela, Tony, Shirley, John Daly King, Mark H, Michelle, Season and Chris, Kelsey, Nathan of Lumenessence and Al and Maureen Koseff. Thanks also to Mike Lipiec for creating the flyer.

Many thanks to Jamie for organizing the scavenger hunt and Queer Trivial Pursuit.

Long time ally and picnic attendee Joy Greco wasn't able to make it this year, as her husband had recently passed on. A condolence card was signed by attendees. Joy sent her regrets for not being able to attend.

Finally, a HUGE thanks to the wonderful women from Meadville/Venango County area who offered their time and trucks in helping us to transport all the picnic stuff after the event was over.

See you next year!

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Local News Coverage of 2007 Pride Picnic - Posted Jun 2, 2007

 

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