A time for community, the 4th annual Pride Picnic was held on June 30, in Saline at Mill Pond Park.

Hosted by the local organization, Saline Supports Our Community, the event organizers said they worked with the city of Saline to get the Pride Flag raised years ago, which they said was and is a significant symbol for inclusion, but knowing there was a need for more, they also wanted people in Saline and surrounding areas to have a feeling of community.
So in an effort to do this they’ve made the picnic an annual event.

“With the Pride Picnic, we offer a space for folks to get to know each other, make connections with people, and of course, celebrate!” Saline Supports Board Members: Courtney Lambert, Heather Finch, and Kerstin Woodside, told the Sun Times News (STN).

The picnic had desserts, pizza and water provided (attendees could also bring alternate food if needed) as well as art projects, games, and informational, nonprofit and fundraising tables.

“The Pride Picnic is for everyone!” Saline Supports told STN when asked about who the picnic is for. “It is a safe space to celebrate the Queer Community, the folks who love them, and allies. We love hosting these at parks because it makes it easier to have younger folks there and room to spread out. Our hope is to make it friendly for families of all sizes and needs.”

Saline Supports said it was clear they outgrew their previous space at Tefft Park, “and moving over to Mill Pond Park was a wonderful experience.”

“Having the Pride Picnic at Mill Pond allowed us to involve a greater number of people, as well as many Community Organizations,” Saline Supports said. “This year, participating organizations included Ozone House Pride Zone, Jim Toy Community Center, Affirmations (also a sponsor), Saline Senior Center, and the Saline Area Schools DEIAC. We also had more space for lots of crafts, yard games, and amazing food!”

This was their first year looking for sponsors. They said they had a great group of businesses work with them, including High Society, Cottage Inn Pizza of Saline, Zingerman’s, Eleanor’s Sweets and Sodas, Mod Squad Salon, Fine Print Bookstore, Lambert Industries, and as previously mentioned, Affirmations.

Saline Supports is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to uplifting those who have been historically and currently marginalized.”

“One of the things that is really important to us as an organization is to have involvement from the community,” Saline Supports said. “We are always looking for folks to come to us with ideas and projects to partner with the community. We would love to have more community members reach out to us, and Saline Supports is always looking for more volunteers, including those for leadership roles, as we continue to grow.”

To learn more, go to https://www.salinesupports.org/.