Putting Pride Together
Checking in with Capital Pride's Bos and Delia as they synchronize the massive celebration
Running May 30 to June 10, much of Capital Pride 2012 – celebrating a theme of ”Be True. Be You!” – has already happened. From Capital TransPride to town-hall events to the Capital Pride Heroes Gala and Silent Auction, so much has already happened to pave the way to the pinnacle weekend of the Capital Pride Parade Saturday, June 9, and the Festival, Sunday, June 10. And the principal players say all the notes have come together for a perfect crescendo.
”Everything is coming together magnificently,” says Bernie Delia, president of the Capital Pride board, at roughly the midpoint of the days-long celebration. ”I’m extraordinarily pleased with how smoothly an operation we’ve been running. It’s really coming together very, very well.
”I’ve been in the leadership for a number of years. I have the perspective of that experience. From where I’m sitting now, I’m very happy with the way things are going.”
The 2011 Capital Pride Festival
(Photo by Randy Shulman / Metro Weekly)
Much of the credit, says Delia, goes to Capital Pride’s staff: Rob Corbett, director of logistics and festival management; Missy Toms, director of external affairs; and Ryan Bos, executive director. For Bos, especially, this is a time to be proud. On the job eight months, Bos is helming his first Capital Pride.
One might reasonably wonder if the experience has overwhelmed him.
”It has not,” Bos promises. ”It’s been tough, but it’s been exciting. The great people and the opportunity to work with folks make the challenges worth it.”
Nearing the finish line of his first Capital Pride, Bos says the experience has been a mixture of the expected, some surprises, but most of all support.
”It’s actually been great,” Bos says with enthusiasm. ”The opportunity has surpassed my expectations in terms of the people I’ve gotten to meet, seeing their passion and their commitment. We have two great volunteer coordinators who have made that process much easier. I would’ve thought that would be one of the more difficult pieces, but that didn’t happen. That’s been a great thing.
”The most challenging thing has been the whole learning process. The are just so many pieces to the puzzle.”
Bos certainly has Delia’s vote of confidence, with the president saying Bos has ”done just an outstanding job of bringing it together – and he didn’t have the experience of going through it before.”
And while the festivities will wind down for most as the festival wraps up June 10, Bos won’t be able to take a day off June 11. It will be sometime before he’s able to take a breath, he says, pointing to the cleanup, the bookkeeping, another town-hall forum June 14, a volunteer-recognition event June 21, and on and on. Bos isn’t too concerned with when he might get to recuperate from this colossal undertaking of Capital Pride. He’s more focused on the message and of greater things to come.
”I want people to take away that this is a community event,” says Bos. ”It takes the community to put this on. My hope is we continue to engage the community, and the community continues to step up to the plate. … Getting involved in Capital Pride, my eyes opened ever wider to the breadth, skills and passion of the entire community.”
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