As I noted a little earlier, this summer has been pretty active in New West. This last weekend the trend continued with the annual Pride Street Party. There were community groups booths, three stages with entertainment, an active kid’s area, beer gardens, food trucks, and local restaurants and beer gardens were filled to overflowing. While other parts of the City and the world were having confrontations about inclusiveness and diversity, thousands of people filled Columbia Street to celebrate victories won for inclusion and understanding, and had fun on a sunny afternoon.
It was a great day in New West, and one that would not have been possible without an army of volunteers.
New West Pride Society is a volunteer-run society that organizes and executes the entire event. The City helps with a grant through our festival grant program, and many sponsors step up to pay for everything from volunteer t-shirts to stage rental and advertising. However all of the actual work, the organization, the year of planning, the hundreds of tasks on event day, everything is done by volunteers.
It isn’t just Pride. The New West Farmers Market, the New West Cultural Crawl, The New West Grand Prix, the Hyack International Parade, Pecha Kucha NW, the New West Film Fest, the events that make the City come alive, are run largely on the backs of volunteer labour. Lots of Volunteer labour.
No surprising point to this, just a short post to give an extra “Thanks” to the volunteers that make this City so full of great activity – from the Presidents of Societies that work all year long, to the folks who show up on game day to sell tickets or pick up litter. I hope that everyone who enjoyed an event this year will think about volunteering for next year’s version of whatever event they enjoyed (and it doesn’t have to be just one). It doesn’t take much time (many hands make light work), you might get a T-shirt (see banner), and it makes the event even more enjoyable for you. You can say “I helped make this happen”, you will help create more opportunities to enjoy the summer with your friends, and you will more likely than not make new friends.
The thing that’s so amazing about New West is that, despite your long list of organizations and events, you KNOW you’ve forgotten many more than you’ve included.
PS nice shot of your left arm there 🙂
Good eye, bad inference. I’m left handed, would never wear a watch on my left arm. That is Councillor Bill Harper.
Hey Pat, I highly doubt it was your intention but I feel a little slighted by your reference to the “confrontation about inclusiveness and diversity”, which I assume is a reference to the anti-racism rally at Vancouver City Hall. It was anything but a confrontation, it was a peaceful, positive, and very necessary way for people to stand up to the escalating hatred and racism happening in this world/continent/country, and I am very proud to have attended to show my support. I unfortunately had to choose between it and the Pride Street Party, and I felt my presence was more important at an event to speak out against hate.
Cheers,
Kevin