August 26th the 2nd Annual Kamloops Pride parade is taking place. This year’s theme is “Express Yourself”!

Chris, chairperson of our KUC Affirm group says “There was so much positive feedback from the community, and many times over I heard of the gratitude and appreciation that we, KUC, and other churches had shown up and walked with Kamloops Pride. I hope that we can show up again with enthusiasm and with lots of us in numbers. The KUC worship time that day will be earlier to accommodate our participation, and we are registered as both parade participants and to have a table in Riverside Park.
This year Kamloops Pride is organizing more activities, entertainment  and food trucks etc. for the tabling time in the park after the walk.  It is going to be a fun day!”

Please join KUC again on August 26, and over the next month, by word of mouth, please encourage your KUC friends, (and others!) to come along and experience this year’s Pride event with us. Talk it up in your communities …share the passion for this Ministry!

We will also be looking for volunteers to staff our table, and represent KUC that day.

If you have any fun ideas about things we could do to add to what we offer at our table, or how we could jazz up our group’s participation in the parade, or ways to be Public, Intentional and Explicit about our being Affirming, please share!!

Chris reminds us “that this year KUC and Kamloops Pride are collaborating on an Art Show during Pride week. Maia Walker, and a KamPride representative, Kennedy Healey, have been working together over the past month, but during Pride week Florence and Maia will be looking for volunteers to hang art, set up etc. on the Thursday, and be present on the Friday opening and on Saturday morning for the closing and take-down. I already have one large item for the show that I have borrowed from Juniper Elementary School. Juniper had a Pride Day, and the students created a large mural of a pair of wings, with individually placed feathers in the colours of the rainbow. I am excited to seeing that mounted in our KUC building for Pride Week!”

If you haven’t already, check out the recent issue of The United Church of Canada’s Mandate magazine…there should be a few copies around KUC. The whole issue is about The  Affirming Journey and included is an article about KUC and our participation in the first Kamloops Pride Parade.

“Thanks all…can’t wait to dig out the rainbow boas and t-shirts! I picked up some rainbow whirly-gigs at the dollar store …I’m always on the hunt for Rainbows!  See you in August!” says Chris.