PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — With less than a month until Pride events begin in the Tampa Bay area, there’s still a lot of preparation that needs to happen.
With Pride celebrations right around the corner, she followed through with the organization and learned how preparations are going.
Breena Abatte works at Say Coffee House in St. Pete, where every year, she watches the street fill with rainbows for the St. Pete Pride Parade
"I think it’s important to show diversity everywhere honestly and representation," said Abatte.
Not only does she support Pride, she said the celebration is also good for the local economy.
"Everyone’s coming down here so it’s like all the businesses that are like small or new like get attention and then maybe we’ll have like new reoccurring customers every day," said Abatte.
Pride events have become more difficult to organize.
"A lot of our partners have seen budgets that have shrunk... We have community members that have had to leave the area because of political pressure...We have seen funders also leave because their employees have not been able to sustain a life here in the state of Florida as prices increase," said Dr. Byron Green-Calisch.
Between the rising cost of living and the political climate, President of St. Pete Pride, Dr. Byron Green-Calisch said the organization has lost about $150,000 in funding from sponsors over the last few years.
"It’s difficult for us to fundraise when people are also having difficulty affording food on their table," said Dr. Green-Calisch.
But he said there’s hope. The organization has seen a big increase in individual donations since September.
"Over the course of three months, jumped to about $8,000 and that is like small individual donors giving $5 here, $10 there and that means the absolute world to us as an organization," said Dr. Green-Calisch.
Dr. Green-Calisch said St. Pete Pride still needs to raise about $200,000 for all of the Pride events coming up in June.
Organization leaders with St. Pete Pride said, despite economic difficulties, the organization expects to see one of the largest crowds they’ve ever seen.
"So if you’re asking me for a prediction, I think this year is gonna be one of our most one of our bigger years we have had," said Abatte.
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