JASMYN leader: Jacksonville unites to break record supporting LGBTQIA+ teens, young adults

Cindy Watson
·2 min read
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Plenty of friends, family members and community supporters turned out for the 12th annual Strides for Pride event on April 23. The event raised more than $140,000 for programs at JASMYM, which provides a host of services for LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults.
Plenty of friends, family members and community supporters turned out for the 12th annual Strides for Pride event on April 23. The event raised more than $140,000 for programs at JASMYM, which provides a host of services for LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults.

Unity in a large metropolitan area like ours can seem hard to find, the proverbial needle in a haystack. But just a few weeks ago on April 23, the Jacksonville community came together in a big way with its record-breaking support of JASMYN’s 12th annual Strides for Pride 5K. This year’s spring fundraiser brought in more than $140,000 for programs at JASMYN that help many of our most vulnerable youth.

This record-level of support underscores how unwavering the residents and businesses of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida continue to be in their support of our local young people during what has become an increasingly uncertain time for human rights. We could not do what we do without them and are incredibly grateful for the way they always come together to show their commitment to ensuring our community is welcoming for all.

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[LETTERS]

Equally as important, this year’s Strides for Pride participation and support shone a light on just how much we can do when we work together and dream bigger. This was our first year at the RAM space at Northbank Riverwalk Artist Square and it gave us a beautiful venue to create our very own mini-pride celebration and bring together more people than ever before.

Let’s look at Strides 2023 by the numbers:

  • More than $140,000 raised in total, a new record

  • 1,000 runners

  • 2,000+ celebration participants

  • 38 vendors, sponsors and community organizations creating the mini-Pride vibe

  • Nearly $30,000 raised by individual participant fundraisers, another record

  • VyStar Credit Union continued a fifth year as a leading Rainbow Sponsor, joining Macquarie Group in their fourth year

All Strides for Pride funds raised go directly to services for our young people ― from mental health services to free HIV testing, to teen drop-in groups, as well as food, showers and other resources for young adults experiencing homelessness. We humbly thank all our donors who, through their generosity, are helping a young person without any barriers between their donation and meeting the needs of our youth.

JASMYN is Northeast Florida’s only youth center for LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults. And it’s the people and businesses of Jacksonville that have once again proven themselves to be the backbone of our nearly 29 years of empowering young people. We thank you for demonstrating once again that the citizens and businesses of Northeast Florida are unified in ensuring the safety and well-being of our LGBTQIA+ teens and young adults.

Our greatest appreciation and respect goes out to the Jacksonville community.

Watson
Watson

Cindy Watson, CEO, JASMYN Inc.

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Community steps up, raises record-breaking amount for JASMYN