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KC Pride 2023: deadlines, help needed, and information

By May 23, 2023November 2nd, 2023All Events

KC Pride 2023 is just around the corner. The Episcopal Church will be present at the three-day Festival, marching in the parade together and hosting a Pride Mass that Saturday morning. All churches are welcome to join us and make our voices heard. We need volunteers to help share God’s love and invite others to join the Episcopal Church in proclaiming the Gospel. Please share this with your communities as soon as possible. Thank you.

Pride Festival: Fri-Sun June 9-10-11

The Diocese of West Missouri will be hosting a booth for festival goers in the Sponsors’ Tent throughout the festival. Individuals are welcome to sign-up to be a booth host, and to swing by and say hello if you’re at the festival. Churches are also invited to sponsor giveaways and provide beautiful, welcoming literature to distribute to visitors.

Swag and Literature

Please contact Robin Rusconi to let her know if you have swag or literature you want to hand out at the Festival. Please have the materials delivered to St. Paul’s, Kansas City, 11 East 40th, Kansas City, MO 64111 by Wednesday, June 7. If you need assistance, please notify Robin.

Volunteers

We need people to sign up for various opportunities based on your interests and abilities.

  1. Set up – On Friday we will need to take Items from St. Paul’s to the site. While they have people to help, we should bring our own wagons and work to get everything set by 5. On Saturday and Sunday it will be pulling everything out of tubs and setting it back up.
  2. Runners – Runners will be bringing necessary items to the site. Last year it included replenishing water, bringing additional supplies and literature, and subbing for people who needed to get out of the heat.
  3. Booth volunteer – greet people as they walk by/approach booth. Hand out material, answer questions, etc.
  4. Tear down volunteer – pack up everything from the booth and take it back to vehicles. Put trash/recycling in the designated receptacles. Deliver and unload the vehicles at St. Paul’s.

To sign up for any of these positions please click the button below.

Volunteer Sign-upOr you can contact the Rev. Jean Long at St. Andrew’s, Kansas City, or Robin Rusconi of St. Paul’s, Kansas City.

Pride Mass: Sat June 10 at 10 a.m.

Join the Bishop and friends from across the diocese in prayer and celebration of the gifts and witness of LGBTQIA+ persons in the life and ministry of the church. We are in need of ushers, greeters, acolytes and singers. If you are interested in helping at this service, please contact the Rev. Steven King from St. Paul’s, Kansas City or the Rev. Charles Everson from St. Mary’s, Kansas City.

Parade: Sat June 10 at 11 a.m. March with us!

We want to dazzle them with numbers. Episcopalians young and old; kids, wagons, strollers, wheelchairs with escorts, everyone who can make what is a long and typically warm march down Broadway is welcome. We will line-up around 11 a.m. in Westport after the Pride Mass hosted by St. Paul’s, Kansas City. Parade details, which will be updated as the date arrives, can be found here. We would like everyone who is marching to wear our T-Shirt but of course it’s not required.

Sponsorship

We are still in need of donations to help cover the costs of participation, including at the Festival, in the Parade, and for the Mass. If your parish plans on contributing, please let us know right away. Individuals are also welcome to donate towards The Episcopal Church’s presence at KC Pride 2023. You may do so by clicking this link and putting KC Pride in the memo, or by sending a check to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 11 East 40th, Kansas City, MO 64111 and designating “KC Pride” on the memo. Every bit helps, and thank you!

Pride Prep Wed June 7, 4 – 8 p.m.

We will gather in the Parish Hall at St. Paul’s, Kansas City to assemble swag, paint signs, hand out t-shirts, bedazzle items and get water, literature, and other supplies together for the parade and the festival. Pizza arrives at 5:30 p.m. More information about how to help can be found here.

Leadership

If you would like to be a part of the leadership team for KC Pride next year, please let us know now. We start planning in the fall. Contact Co-Chairs Fr. Charles Everson or Heidi Carter to join the team.

Heidi Carter is the Associate for Ministry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Kansas City, Missouri.