'WNY Shopping With Pride' fundraiser

With COVID-19 still impacting many local outdoor events and festivals this summer, as well as local businesses still feeling the economic impacts of the pandemic, Niagara Pride is launching “WNY Shopping With Pride” as an annual fundraiser event, with the hopes of helping and promoting local businesses and celebrating June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

“WNY Shopping With Pride” will run from Friday, June 4, through Saturday, June 12. Niagara Pride is asking local merchants and businesses wishing to participate to donate either a percentage of sales made during that time period or a lump sum donation to Niagara Pride. Leading up to it, Niagara Pride will promote “WNY Shopping With Pride” via its website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media accounts. “Shopping with Pride” participating merchants will be listed in all marketing materials.

This event will serve as the signature annual fundraiser event for Niagara Pride, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ individuals and families. It offers community-based educational programming and engage in charitable work for numerous organizations in Niagara County and the surrounding counties of Western New York.

Niagara Pride hosts a monthly lunch and learn education series, as well as other free training that serves to raise awareness of community resources, in addition to obstacles faced by the LGBTQ+ community. As part of the charitable outreach, it has ongoing donation drives throughout the year that benefit children and homeless individuals. Niagara Pride also facilitates welcoming social events, creating safe spaces in the community for LGBTQ+ individuals.

“With Buffalo Pride and other summer festivals canceled for the second year in a row, we know that many vendors will be hurting economically this year. Many local businesses are still feeling the impact that COVID-19 restrictions had on their customer base. We wanted to find a way where we could still celebrate Pride and help to overall community,” said Ronald Piaseczny, president of Niagara Pride. “Our goal is two-fold: to help LGBTQ+ and ally owned businesses by having customers patron their business, while at the same time raise the needed funds that allow Niagara Pride to carry out our mission of serving Niagara County and the overall WNY community. At the end of the day, we might live in one part of WNY and work or shop in another, but we are all members of the WNY family.”

Businesses/merchants wishing to register as a participant in “WNY Shopping with Pride” are asked to complete the merchant registration at https://portal.niagarapride.org/pride2021.

For more information about Niagara Pride, visit www.niagarapride.org, email [email protected] or call 716-298-7656.