The Booker T. Washington State Park was the site for the Tennessee Valley Pride’s season kickoff event. The Spring Fling included vendor booths, free food, entertainment, silent auctions, prizes, and just plain fun. More than 350 attendees raised more than $2,300 for the Pride committee to fund production of future events.
The daylong festivities culminated in an evening at Images with a Queen of Fools pageant, celebrating the April Fools weekend theme. This event raised another $300 for Pride. Eartha Quake was crowned the 2006 Queen of Fools. For a day that began with the sky opening up, it ended as a successful day for the first Gay Pride event in the Chattanooga area in several years
The Tennessee Valley Pride committee formed in the latter part of 2005 with dreams that seem to be coming true. The committee is made up Mike Rice (President), Robin Buxton (Vice President), and Mario Forte (Secretary/Treasurer). There are also representatives on the committee from organizations such as the Rainbow and Pride Bowling leagues, Lookout Bears, Alan Gold’s, Images, Chucks II, MCC, Southern Comfort, The Rock, and others. The committee meets the second Sunday of every month at rotating locations. This info, along with monthly updates, is listed on their Web site www.tennesseevalleypride.com, as well as immediate updates through their yahoo group, located online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tvpride.
Tennessee Valley Pride is working diligently on future events. They have already planned and organizing three major events for 2006. These events include major participation in the 2006 Atlanta Pride Parade, Fall Fling, and Winter Snow Prom. The Atlanta Pride Parade is slated for June 25, and that info is available on their Web site at www.atlantapride.org. The Fall Fling scheduled for October 1, 2006, at Camp Jordan Park. Winter Snow Prom will be December 8, 2006, on the new riverboat that will arrive in Chattanooga during this summer. The prom will be a black tie event and is later in the evening after Chattanooga’s annual Gayla.