ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) \u2014 One of Tampa Bay’s largest annual celebrations says its future could be at risk.<\/p>\n
St. Pete Pride said it needs to raise nearly $300,000 by the end of November to pay off expenses before it can move forward with its 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n
“We’re the largest pride celebration in the state of Florida and one of the largest in the country,” said Trent Brock, President of St. Pete Pride. “We generate so much for this community.”<\/p>\n
Nearly 300,000 people packed St. Petersburg for Pride weekend this summer.<\/p>\n
Behind the crowds and celebration, the organization said it was facing a growing financial problem.<\/p>\n
“We’ve always carried over debt from the previous year,” Brock added.<\/p>\n
Brock says sponsorships dropped, event costs climbed, and the organization entered this year still paying expenses from previous Pride celebrations.<\/p>\n
“It’s essentially like a dark cloud that continues to follow us,” Brock said. “Taking over as president this year, I want to stop that. I think that we should be paying for pride in the year that it happens and not carrying it over to the next year.”<\/p>\n
St. Pete Pride says it now needs to raise at least $289,000\u00a0by Nov. 30 to cover remaining expenses from this year.<\/p>\n
“We’re not just talking about the future of St. Pete Pride for next year, but we’re talking about the future five to ten years from now,” said Brock.<\/p>\n
But what happens next could reach beyond the organization itself.<\/p>\n
“Not having that that big festive festival going on would really impact the community in a negative way,” said Joe Christianson, the owner of Dad’s Kitchen.<\/p>\n
For businesses along central avenue, like Dad’s Kitchen, Pride weekend means thousands of people filling the streets and more customers walking through their doors.<\/p>\n
“It’s exciting to see all the faces and everybody having a great time,” Christianson added.\u00a0“It would be sad to see it go.”<\/p>\n
“It’s very important for me to include that community,” said Azer Kucuk, Artist at Cleopatra Ink Tattoo and Piercing.<\/p>\n
“We gave free piercings and free tattoos for the LGBTQ community. We also had discounts during the festival.”<\/p>\n
“The future is in jeopardy, but St. Pete Pride will never be canceled,” said Brock.<\/p>\n
“We will always have something for our community, but I think what that looks like will be dependent on what we’re able to do over the next month or so.”<\/p>\n
St. Pete Pride said even small donations could add up, and every penny makes a difference.<\/p>\n