WATSONVILLE — Pajaro Valley Pride will hold its “Empowering our Future Picnic Fundraiser” on Saturday.
The outdoor event will benefit the local nonprofit organization, which seeks to support the LGBT+ community in South County with events and an educational scholarship.
The Pajaro Valley Pride Scholarship is offered to local LGBT+ teens and allies who are graduating from the Pajaro Valley Unified School District and plan to continue higher education the following semester. The 2017 recipient of the scholarship will be announced at this Saturday’s picnic and will be awarded the $1,000 publicly at the PV Pride Festival in downtown Watsonville on Aug. 20.
“For many of us in Pajaro Valley, our successes have come from experiencing higher education,” said PV Pride President Jorge Guillen. “We have parents who migrated here, who never had the opportunity. We want to help break apart those limitations so their children can move forward.”
All proceeds of Saturday’s picnic will be going toward the scholarship, as well as supporting PV Pride’s upcoming festival. There will be drinks, food, speeches and a raffle held toward the end of the event.
“Our event is family-friendly, because Pride itself is family-friendly,” Guillen said. “It is about supporting and educating each other, and making the Pajaro Valley a place that celebrates diversity in every form.”
The picnic will be held from 1-3 p.m. at 330 Carlton Road in Watsonville. There is a $20 suggested donation at the door. Those who cannot attend but still want to contribute can donate at pajarovalleypride.org.
