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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Why not offer time to help share Pride?

Annual event showcases community's diversity

By: Erin Madden

25/01/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

2That's the theme of this year's Winnipeg Gay Pride Festival, and organizers are challenging Winnipeggers -- gay and straight -- to come out and fill in the blank.

"You can be proud to be a fisherman, you can be proud to be a mechanic, you can be proud to be me -- it doesn't matter," said Barb Burkowski, volunteer chairwoman on the Pride Winnipeg board of directors. "You can take it anyway you want but it's all-encompassing of everybody in the LGBT (lesbian gay bisexual transgendered) community or outside."

A volunteer for the past five years, Burkowski leads the team of 12 volunteers who work for months in order to put on the 10-day festival that includes a huge Pride Day Celebration on June 6. The event features a parade down Broadway and culminates with a party at The Forks.

Last year's event attracted a record 8,000 people and the organizing committee is expecting that number to grow again this year.

"It's the biggest event that draws all the gay, lesbian and transgendered people together in one place. It only happens once a year and so it's really exciting to be a part of that," explained Burkowski, a 36-year-old West End resident.

Fellow volunteer Adam Jennings, the rally co-ordinator for Pride Winnipeg, loves that the event promotes tolerance and brings the community closer together.

"Winnipeg is a melting pot of diversity. This is not only a celebration of being gay, it's a celebration of being part of Winnipeg, and being part of our city and our community and the diversity in our city," said Jennings, whose day job is in customer service.

"I remember my first Pride (Celebration) and being choked up by people speaking on the legislature steps about how proud they are. It's super-empowering and super-encouraging to know you're not alone and that you are a part of something that is bigger than yourself."

If you are interested in helping to plan this year's event or would like to be part of the event-day volunteer team that will serve drinks, serve as security personnel and help to clean up, please email the volunteer co-ordinator at volunteers@gaypridewinnipeg.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 25, 2010 B3

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