By Joan Marks News Correspondent
- Updated
Everybody’s on the Dance Floor during the June 3rd Friday Night Fever Prom at Union Pier Social.
Preparing for the June 3 Grom at Goldberry Woods in Union Pier
Riding on their success in 2021, Harbor Country Pride Co-Founders and Presidents Abby Voss and Travis Worden brought nine main events and a beautiful portable rainbow to the week-long 2022 celebration.
This year’s Harbor Country Pride had a special focus on local businesses and the queer youth community.
“We want to make sure that our area young people know that Harbor Country is a welcoming and safe environment,” said Voss.
The Friday evening, June 3, GROM (Teen Pride Prom/Graduation Party) held at Goldberry Woods in Union Pier was attended by over one hundred 6th-12th graders – both local students and some bused in from Northwest Indiana and the Chicago suburbs. While they don’t typically let groups use just their barn, Goldberry Innkeeper Julie Haberichter said she and her husband Eric were “honored to participate in the GROM event to let queer youth know how much the community cares about them.”
The two major sponsors, OutCenter Southwest Michigan and The Acorn Theater also helped contribute to this year’s success.
Acorn Board Chair Laura Madsen Jolly commented, “the Acorn was pleased to partner with Harbor Country Pride in order to take the wonderful work that Travis and Abby started to the next step … offering event space and helping them with some of the logistics so that they could focus on making the week a success.”
Three events were held at The Acorn – the Wednesday, June 1, kick-off featuring Lady Stardust, Club Rainbow on Saturday evening June 4, and the Monday Movie Night Wrap Party were “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” was screened.
Union Pier Social General Manager Pam Picka said, “we are happy to support Pride Week with the Friday Night Fever Prom event.”
The Restaurant donated appetizers and desserts were provided by The Black Currant Bakery in Union Pier.
Several other restaurants also found creative ways to contribute such as:
For every yogurt purchase topped with either rainbow sprinkles or rainbow chips, New Buffalo’s Twisted Frozen Yogurt made a donation to OutCenter.
Red Arrow Road House in Union Pier contributed a portion of its full slab rib sales also to the OutCenter.
Proceeds from Viola Café’s lemonade stand in Three Oaks donated to Harbor Country Pride.
New Buffalo’s Bentwood Tavern and Terrace Room gave a portion of their sales on June 2nd to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Sawyer based Susan’s and The Peasant’s Pantry collaborated on the Wigs and Pumps brunch with donations going to SAGE Services for LGBT Elderly.
Mikey’s Drive-In in Bridgman awarded portions of their proceeds during Pride Week to The OutCenter.
For the entire month of June, Redamak’s is giving all proceeds from their “Cake Shakes” to Harbor Country Pride.
Additional proceeds raised by Harbor Country Pride will be donated to Youth Empowerment Performance Project, Brave Space Alliance, LGBTQ Outreach of Porter County, and PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
