Crawfordsville Pride is seeking sponsors, donations and volunteers to help make this year’s Crawfordsville Pride Festival possible.
Morgan Vesey, board chair and executive director of Crawfordsville Pride, said the organization has been fortunate to receive strong community support in the past, including sponsorships from organizations such as Nucor Steel, the ACLU and Valley Professionals. Valley Professionals has returned as a sponsor this year.
Vesey said city officials also have been supportive and lenient with fees associated with hosting the event at Pike Place. However, finding sponsorships and support has proven more difficult this year.
The organization hopes to raise at least $5,000 to cover expenses including reserving Pike Place, paying performers, sound technicians and other event-related services.
“It’s important to remember that every donation or sponsorship [received] goes right back into what we do,” Vesey said. “We are all volunteers.”
In addition to financial support, Vesey said Crawfordsville Pride is always looking for volunteers to assist with its efforts.
Crawfordsville Pride was founded in 2019 with the goal of creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals in Montgomery County. The organization works to cultivate a supportive and affirming environment while expanding outreach and providing resources through educational programs, support services and community events.
The first Crawfordsville Pride Festival was held in 2024. Pride festivals are held across the country to celebrate LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies. The events trace their roots to the Stonewall Uprising in New York City in 1969, a pivotal moment in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Vesey said events such as the Pride Festival are especially important in rural communities.
“One day a year the local community can come together and celebrate,” she said. “It creates community, visibility and togetherness.”
Local resident Joanne Williams said Pride festivals provide an opportunity for LGBTQ+ residents and the broader community to connect.
“I think Pride festivals are particularly important in times like this because they not only give our LGBTQ+ community a chance to get together and build solidarity and just plain have a good time, but to do the same with the rest of our neighbors,” Williams said. “Current politics are directing so much hate and division at us that Pride provides the only real opportunity through the year to let much of the straight community see us as the friends and neighbors we are.”
Conner Cable said Pride serves as a reminder that everyone deserves acceptance and belonging.
“Pride is important because there are still people who are told they shouldn’t exist, shouldn’t marry, shouldn’t love openly, or shouldn’t be themselves,” Cable said. “It’s a reminder that everyone deserves dignity, safety, and a place where they can belong.”
Those interested in becoming a sponsor or volunteering can email info@crawfordsvillepride.org. Donations can also be made through the organization’s GoFundMe campaign at https://giving.gofundme.com/campaign/793100/donate/.
