Ferndale Pride organizers say sponsorship support for 2025 has come up short

FERNDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Ferndale Pride is the largest  LGBTQIA+ festival in Michigan that is free to the public, and it attracts thousands to the city every year.

Big picture view:

This year's event is scheduled for May 31, but the event is coming up with lack of sponsorship support.

Toly Ashkenazi is a member of a board that oversees the annual event and said this year finding support has been more challenging.

"This is a completely free event to the public in the city of Ferndale, and an event of this scope that engages the community on such a deep level it doesn’t come free and relies on sponsorships," he said.

And when it comes to sponsorship, every dollar counts.

"You can volunteer your time, but above everything else, sponsorship means money," Ashkenazi said.

Kimberly Masten doesn’t know any members of the community, but takes her granddaughter every year.

"She’s 10 and I want her to understand that people are people and we should all love each other," she said.

Some advocates believe the Trump Administration’s recent efforts to end Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs is the reason behind the lack of sponsorship.

"I feel like a lot of people who were supporting originally, probably are not supporting now because of the fear of what could happen with associations, or other contracts or other vendors," said Julisa Abad, Transgender Outreach & Advocacy director for Fair Michigan Justice Project. "So it’s just a bad situation all around."

Ashkenazi who owns a bar that caters to the LGBTQIA+ community in Ferndale, has created a challenge to encourage sponsors to step up.

"My challenge is for anyone who has sponsored before, to double their sponsorship, especially in a vacuum where other major corporations may be stepping out.

"We’ve stepped up our donation from $3,000 to $6,000. We hope to inspire others to do the same."

What you can do:

If you would like to donate or learn more, go to ferndalepride.com/donate/