Venice Pride, Inc. ❤ News & Updates

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Note From the Team

May 6, 2022

We are excited to announce the students who received the Venice Pride, Inc. Youth Scholarship this year.

Venice Pride, Inc. founded this program in 2021 to give back to our community and to support our youth.

This program is an annual scholarship geared to High School graduates from the Suncoast region who demonstrate outstanding academics, contribute to their communities and plan on attending college in the Fall.

Last year, we awarded one scholarship, the Spencer Stephens Award to a Lemon Bay High student, in honor of Spencer Stephens. This year, we are excited to award three youth scholarships from three different High Schools.

These scholarships were made possible from many generous donations received and our Giving Challenge 2022 fundraising efforts. We extend a special thanks to our 2022 Youth Scholarship supporters and donors:

Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Giving Challenge Partners (ALSO Youth, Blaze of Hope, Diversity: The Voices of Sarasota, Fabulous Arts Foundation, Modern Marimba, Project Pride SRQ)
Giving Challenge Supporters
Margaret Kennedy, Realtor
Robinson, Gruters and Roberts PA
Suncoast MCC
The Patterson Foundation

Also special thanks to Kathy Hanas our 2022 Giving Challenge team champion, Angela Chisolm our Giving Challenge video director and Dawn & Donnie Stephens our presenters of the Spencer Stephens Award to the Lemon Bay High School recipient.

Join us in congratulating William, Zander and Jaylynn. We are very proud of them.

With Pride!

Team at Venice Pride, Inc.

Youth Scholarship Recipients (2022)

William Harless

Venice High School

Zander Moricz

Pine View School

Jaylynn Santacross

Lemon Bay High

Featuring VALOR - TRIBE

By: Angelia Chisolm

I created VALOR - TRIBE in November 2021 for a way for those who identify or support the LGBTQ community to not just communicate freely but to create wonderful events for us to get together and meet and form lifetime friendships!

We support any in our community but we are defined by areas to include Venice, Sarasota, North Port, Port Charlotte, Rotunda and even St Pete’s! We started with 80 members and by April have over 200!

Besides the ability to communicate through the group and our wonderful meet ups, we also support those charities and businesses owned or supported by our members.

We have an incredible bond and a place of safety and pride! I welcome all!

Lisa and Myra Moore two incredible women sponsor our local Blaze Of Hope a fundraiser to help with medical expenses for families!

Sammy Burns is a local tattooist in Venice and fantastic artist and our member who we actually had an event for tattoos to show support!

We have Margaret Kennedy our local real estate pro, her beautiful wife Ashley Williams who both sponsor a monthly wine event in Venice!

Kathy Hanas is in league with Venice Pride!

And so many more I could go on and on!

I along with Lisa Moore, Stacy Mcluvn, Andrea Dionne and Nik Lewinski located in different areas like Venice, Sarasota, Rotunda, North Port and Lakeland help me maintain this wonderful group as we expand!

We have events like dinner parties, dancing, billiards, pickle ball, camping, fishing events, picnics, we paint and build crafts kayaking, karaoke nights and have a lot of fun! We are going to an escape room and even a Disney weekend! We try to be creative and plan things we think would be fun!

Our goal is simple! We want to supply a community and network where those in the LGBTQ can honestly meet and find friendships and be safe and accepted!

I hope we continue to grow and include as many nearby places we could be useful!

We are here to be a supportive way for us to proudly say “GAY!”

Please be a part and take our hands and stand with us as proud friends!

JOIN VALOR - TRIBE FACEBOOK PAGE HERE

PRIDE 2022 Announcements

Show Sarasota & Venice that our Local Businesses Welcome and Support the LGBTQ+ Community

Join other local restaurants & businesses and show your true colors throughout the month!

● Offer a meaningful discount or special for the month of June

● Create an optional "Rainbow Item"

● $100 tax deductible donation to help with advertising costs

Registration is a Piece of Cake!

Participants will have the option to fill out a "Taste of Pride Passport" throughout the month so they can visit as many businesses as possible.

You will receive a Taste of Pride Information packet prior to June 1 with brochures to hand out to your patrons

For more info

CLICK HERE

All About Taste of Pride

Concert at Gazebo in Centennial Park

Friday, June 3, 7PM to 9PM

Downtown Venice, West Venice Avenue

Moxy Stardust Band

Local musicians who met through a local open mic! They sing a variety of songs and hit every mood with every concert! They love when people dance and absolutely love crowd participation. The lead singer (Brittany) is part of the LGBT community and the band absolutely loves supporting the community with their music. They play covers from the Beatles to Alanis Morrisette to Dua Lipa