APPLETON (NBC 26) — Fox Valley Pride was prepared to host their fourth annual celebration at Riverside Park before severe weather threw a wrench into their plans. That's when a local business stepped up to help.
- Organizers expected the fourth annual Fox Valley Pride event to draw thousands to Riverside Park.
- Severe weather caused them to scramble for a solution.
- A local business stepped up to keep Fox Valley Pride alive.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details for the web)
Fox Valley Pride says they had been planning their fourth annual celebration for months, and expected to see more than 2,000 people come out to riverside park on Saturday.
That was until the weather forecast came out.
“I think when Menasha canceled their big event, we knew we were in trouble," said Sommer Loar, Fox Valley Pride Co-Founder & Vice President
Torrential downpours slated for the entire day jeopardized the entire celebration.
“We haven’t had to cancel because the weather has been amazing every year. But, we do live in Wisconsin, so.”
With less than 24 hours, Loar and their co-planners scrambled to find an alternate venue.
One idea was the Gibson Community Music Hall.
“We received a message from [Fox Valley Pride] saying, ‘We may have to relocate. Are you available? Are you interested?’” Gibson Community Music Hall Coordinator Melissa Freeman said.
So, the Hall decided to step up to keep the event alive.
“Last second things happen," Freeman said. "And if we can roll with it, we do.”
Loar said while they had to send community vendors home due to space concerns, they were still able to keep their musical performers and some of the other entertainment they had planned.
Together, Fox Valley Pride and the Gibson Community Music Hall team spent all morning setting up. By the afternoon, the celebration was back in action.
“Thank you to everyone who helped get this together," Loar said, praising everyone in their organization "This team of organizers are absolutely amazing. They put in so much effort and time yesterday calling and trying to make this happen.”
