17th Annual Picnic biggest yet!

By Michael Mahler

On Saturday, June 13, the 17th Annual Pride Picnic set a record for attendance. We estimate a minimum of 330 people joined us for a day of good friends, food and fun!

For their very generous donations, we would like to thank Zone Dance Club, Craze Night Club, Wal-Mart (Peach St), Wegman’s (Peach Street), Body Language, Coca-Cola, Community Health Net, Erie Sisters, Pie in the Sky Cafe, Tony Logue, Erie County Department of Health, Crime Victim Center of Erie County, Inc., Two Friends Italian Market, Country Fair, Glass Growers, and Smith’s Hot Dogs for their very generous donations!

Please support the people who support us! Media coverage was by WJET TV 24 from Erie and Gay Life TV from Pittsburgh.

We will be having copies of the photo book from this year’s picnic for sale soon at the Erie Gay News web site. This is an exciting chance to have your very own

Organizations represented at the picnic included Community Health Net, Erie Safe Kids Coalition, Gay Straight Diversity Alliance, Drenched Fur, LBT Women of Erie, PFLAG of Erie/Crawford County, Erie Gay Pride, Inc, Equality Advocates of Pennsylvania, Gay Life TV from Pittsburgh (who will have video on their site from the event), Erie County Democratic Party, Erie Health Care Coalition, NW PA Rural AIDS Alliance, and Mercyhurst Gay Straight Alliance

Thanks to the Pride Picnic planning committee, that included Garry, Mary Lou, Jeremy Snyder, Gary Snyder, Jeff Hill, Michelle, and Erin M.

Mary Lou found some wonderful toys for children. There were also some lovely bibs that were handmade and donated by the spouse of an Erie Sister.

Thanks to Jeff Hill, Garry, and Michelle for their terrific help with shopping and transporting. Thanks to Dee, Deb Spilko, and James von Loewe for taking photos. Kudos to Erie Gay News graphic artist Mike Lipiec for designing a terrific flyer also the screen displays for both bars. Many thanks also to Joe Totleben for help with promoting the picnic.

Gary and Jeremy did an excellent job of running the kitchen the day of the event. Special thanks to Eric who helped out for most of the day, as well as Tracy, Amanda, Nicholas, and Carl. Thanks also to Rhiannon Angelina, our own Lunch Lady Drag Queen.

Thanks to DJ J-Roc for providing sound equipment and music.

It is very important that when people arrive at the picnic that they feel welcomed. Huge thanks to Dok and Jami Hibbs, Michelle, Joanna Fletcher, Kim. Keith, Michael Kohler, Johauna, and others for volunteering at the registration table and greeting folks with smiling faces. Thanks to Season, Chris, Alex Bolla and Al and Maureen Koseff for taking the face photos. Special extra thanks to Max Eroshevich for help with clean up and also to Collis for transporting, set up, clean up and many other tasks.

Huge thanks to Erin for making the silent auction such a phenomenal success and for making up the lovely baskets. Big Honcho Media donated a number of promotional items from the recent Academy Award winning movie, Milk, that were given away. We also set an all time record for collection donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA! We collected 220 pounds and $27 to help those less fortunate in the Erie community.

Many thanks to the Laffans as well as the Covenant of Brighid’s Haven for the use of the easy-up for the DJ

Videos

WJET TV 24 coverage of picnic - Posted Jun 13, 2009

Gay Life TV coverage of Picnic - Posted Jun 13, 2009

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Erie Gay News
1115 W 7th St
Erie PA 16502
(814) 456-9833
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Co-editors Michael Mahler and Deb Spilko