Tampa Pride

TO ALL COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS AND FUTURE SPONSORS:

We would like to welcome you to TAMPA PRIDE, Inc., a Florida Non Profit Corporation (“TAMPA PRIDE”). The return of this organization and event was was driven by a grassroots group of GLBTA Tampa Bay business owners, community leaders, and individuals. We are igniting the passion and bringing back this event to display the diversity that Tampa, Florida has in its heart. TAMPA PRIDE has a mission statement and commitment to demonstrate diversity as a community as displayed through a festival with vendors from organizations of national to local levels and a PRIDE parade. This event will also create a positive economic impact to the Tampa Bay area through local and national tourism from a long weekend of scheduled events. We are holding the 2nd Annual TAMPA PRIDE Festival and Parade on March 26, 2015 in Historic YBOR City, also known as The GaYBOR District. This will become an historical and annual spring event when Florida weather is most envied!

A PRIDE Celebration in Tampa, Florida originally started in 1982 at the University of South Florida and continued through 2002. The original Tampa Pride organization held events at various venues as the event grew throughout the Greater Tampa Bay area including The Tampa Bay Performing Art Center, Tampa Aquarium, Raymond James Stadium, University of Tampa, Tampa Port Authority Terminals 2 & 5, and Tampa Convention Center. In 2005, the Hillsborough County Commissioners were led by Commissioner Rhonda Storms on a crusade to ban the county for acknowledging, promoting, and / or financing any county wide GLBTA event. After 8 years of this inequitable ban, the GaYBOR District Coalition backed by numerous business leaders and proclamations from a multitude of government leaders including President Barack Obama, US House of Representatives, City Councils, and Florida State House of Representatives was able to accomplish the repeal of this ban with a 7-0 vote from all Hillsborough County Commissioners in 2013.

The GLBTA community of Tampa has been longing for this community event to return to our doorstep. We are thankful for other area PRIDE events like on the other side of the bay, “St Pete Pride” and on the Central East Coast “Come Out with Pride” Orlando for giving the Tampa Bay area somewhere to celebrate. The success of TAMPA PRIDE events is only achievable through community partnership and donations from individuals, businesses, and corporate sponsorships. We are seeking all avenues of support from voluntary to financial contributions. We would greatly appreciate your support of the newly formed TAMPA PRIDE Festival and Diversity Parade.

We really need your help now! We greatly appreciate your company and individual contribution support for our kick start of TAMPA PRIDE’s growing community generated event. If you would like to get more information on how you or your organization can get involved in Sponsorship, make a generous Contribution or want to Underwrite an upcoming TAMPA PRIDE event, please contact us.

Thank you!

Carrie West, President, TAMPA PRIDE, Inc., a Florida Non Profit Corporation