Phoenix Pride, the largest LGBTQ+ event in the valley, was held at Steele Indian School Park in Downtown Phoenix on October 21-22, 2023. As an inclusive and affirming agency, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona was proud to join in the festivities for the 41st annual Phoenix Pride celebration.
We were thrilled to be among the 300 exhibitors inside the festival grounds, joining in on the excitement for the weekend. The marketplace is always a great way to connect with the community, with booths ranging from local organizations and resources to small and large businesses that want to show their support.BBBSAZ staff and volunteers manned a recruitment table, sharing more about our mission-driven organization while also connecting with several community members. Some of our favorite highlights of the weekend were connecting with Alumni Bigs and Littles, hearing their stories, and how mentoring has made a huge difference in their lives. We are always seeking LGBTQ+ affirming mentors to serve our diverse littles best.
Sunday’s festivities kicked off with the Pride Parade, a mile-long procession with 200 floats and groups participating in the fun. While traveling northbound up 3rd Avenue towards Steele Indian School Park, a coalition of BBBSAZ staff, Bigs, littles, and families handed out hundreds of pride flags and educational materials to parade attendees.
The event was a great success, as always. Over the course of the weekend, we spoke with hundreds of community members who showed interest in giving back and received numerous volunteer inquiries. We are grateful to everyone who engaged with us and was interested in volunteering with our organization!
Currently, our agency has an open capacity for new littles to join us at our LGBTQ+-focused site-based mentoring that meets biweekly at one-n-ten in downtown Phoenix. To learn more about this program, please visit our website: https://www.bbbsaz.org/lgbtq/ or email our site specialist Eva Siler esiler@bbbsaz.org.
