Co-Founder | Community Engagement | Event Marketing
Recruiter Takeaway: I launched a new community event from scratch by building partnerships, coordinating programming, supporting promotion, and turning local interest into a 1,000+ attendee public celebration.
Launching Huntsville's First Major Pride Celebration
9-Day Community Festival
1,000+ Attendees
Multiple Community Partners
Public Parade & Block Party
My Role
As a co-founder and event organizer, I developed and executed the event through:
Community outreach and relationship building
Sponsor and partner engagement
Event promotion and audience development
Entertainment and venue coordination
Volunteer support and coordination
Day-of-event operations and problem-solving
The team frequently worked across multiple areas to ensure successful execution.
Project Snapshot
Location
Huntsville, Alabama
date
June 2012
Focus
Community Engagement
Outcome
1,000+ Attendees
The Challenge
At the time, there was no established Pride organization with a proven track record, a sponsor network, a volunteer base, or an annual audience.
To succeed, we needed to:
Build credibility from scratch
Recruit volunteers and community supporters
Secure sponsorships and partner organizations
Coordinate venues, entertainment, and logistics
Create enough awareness to attract meaningful attendance
Demonstrate that Huntsville could support a large-scale Pride celebration
Audience Strategy: Creating Multiple Paths to Participation
A successful community event cannot rely on a single attraction. To maximize participation, Rocket City Pride offered a diverse schedule of programming designed to engage different audiences throughout the week.
Why It Worked
Rather than asking people to engage in only one way, the event provided multiple opportunities for participation based on individual interests. Community organizations, faith groups, businesses, entertainers, advocates, and social participants all had a place within the broader celebration, increasing attendance, engagement, and stakeholder support throughout the week.
Recognition & Community Impact
Community Award, Rocket City Pride / Free2Be — 2016
Awarded in recognition of love and support for LGBTQ Alabama.
Although my most direct event leadership role with Rocket City Pride was concentrated in the early organizing period, the work continued to have meaning beyond the first event cycle. After helping launch Huntsville’s first major Pride celebration, I chose not to remain in full event-production duties every year. Even so, the community relationships, visibility, and support connected to that work continued to be recognized.
In 2016, Free2Be presented me with Rocket City Pride’s CommUNITY Award in recognition of my love and support for LGBTQ Alabama. For me, that recognition reflects the deeper purpose of the project: not simply producing an event, but helping create a platform for visibility, belonging, and community connection in North Alabama.
Rocket City Pride 2012 Community Partners
Rocket City Pride continues today as a community organization and public celebration.
See what Rocket City Pride is doing today.
