Big Idea No. 1: To Get 1,000,000 People to Wear RED on the First Saturday of June Each Year!
Dear Sir or Madam,
Founded in 2018, The KindRED Pride Foundation, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, embodies the legacy of the original group of “kindred spirits” who bravely wore red shirts to the Magic Kingdom® in 1991. What began as just a social gathering grew to one of the longest running and iconic events in LGBT+ history.
29 years later, the mission of the KindRED Pride Foundation is to promote Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression and Kindness and support other organizations with a similar mission throughout the country, and locally in Orlando, Florida.
The KindRED Pride Foundation is seeking Grant Funding to partner and assist with support of our 30th Red Shirt Pride Day Anniversary programming events during the weekend of June 4-8, 2020.
- RED Shirt Pride Day Around the World each June
- The Pride Cup – an LGBT+ Multi-Sport Competition to be held annually
- We Are One – An Extravaganza for Diversity & Inclusion Benefit Concert
It is the global mission of the KindRED Pride Foundation to have 1,000,000 people wear RED shirts on the first Saturday of each June to promote our “KINDNESS” mission around the world, especially to places where it may not be safe to do so.
A simple act of just wearing a RED shirt can let someone know in a distant country that they are not alone in their fight for basic human rights. On behalf of the KindRED Pride Foundation, I hope that you choose to partner with us in the effort to provide Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression,and KINDNESS to all “Kindred Spirits” around the world.
Sincerely,
Billy Looper, President
Billy@KindREDpride.org
The KindRED Pride Foundation
Global Vision, Local Impact
On the first Saturday in June, 1991, a group of 30-40 friends bravely wore red shirts to Magic Kingdom®. These “kindred spirits” had no idea of the legacy they were going to create. Their courage that started out simply as a social gathering has grown to become one of the longest running iconic events in LGBT+ history. At one time, the number of red shirts grew to over 40,0000 people, but the original mission worked. It is now safe to be gay at Disney every day.
29 years later, a group of Orlando LGBT+ business leaders created the KindRED Pride Foundation, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation, to honor the original mission of the group of individuals who wore red shirts to Magic Kingdom®, but this time with a focus on the world. The global mission of the KindRED Pride Foundation is to have 1,000,000 people wear red shirts around the world on the first Saturday of June to celebrate the beginning of “Gay Disney” and to promote Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression and Kindness in places where it is not safe to do so.
In addition to the global mission, the KindRED Pride Foundation supports local, regional, and national non-profits to help raise awareness and support for Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression, and Kindness.
KindRED Pride Foundation 2019-2020 Programs
Looking to the future for the upcoming 30th anniversary of the original Red Shirt Pride Day (#RSPD), the KindRED Pride Foundation will be hosting two other spectacular events to support the LGBT+ community with the We Are One – An Extravaganza for Diversity & Inclusion Benefit Concert and The Pride Cup – an LGBT+ multi-sport competition. These events will be held in Orlando, Florida the weekend of June 4-8, 2020 and are hosted at the House of Blues and the Marriott World Center at Walt Disney World Resorts, respectively.
1. Red Shirt Pride Day (#RSPD)
Gear up for the big day where people from all over the world join in solidarity and wear their Red Shirt with pride. imagine St. Patrick’s Day where everyone wears green on March 17th whether they are Irish or not. Then imagine that on the first Saturday of June that kindred spirits around the world wear RED in solidarity for Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression, and Kindness – RED Shirt Pride Day Around the World!
At its core the KindRED Pride Foundation supports the “Power of Kindness” and we believe in the “Power of RED”. The red in the pride flag represents life and the original organizers chose this color in order to recognize other “kindred” spirits at that first gathering. What better way to kick off Pride Month than all “KIND” people around the world wearing RED as a celebration of life in all of its different colors, shapes, sizes, genders, orientations, nationalities, ages, abilities, and status; where the only real question is “Are you kind or are you not kind?”
Proceeds raised from t-shirt sales from the inaugural Red Shirt Pride Day in 2019 were distributed to nearly 30 organizations to help support their program efforts. Amazing nonprofits such as The Trevor Project, Outserve/SLDN, You Can Play, One Orlando Alliance, Orlando Youth Alliance, Zebra Coalition and the National LGBTQ Task Force all came together in solidarity for the common goal of Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression, and Kindness and helped spread the mission of the KindRED Pride Foundation.
2. The Pride Cup – An LGBT+ Multi-Sport Competition
Athletics have been a life saver for many in our community over the decades. A great example are the hundreds of leagues around the world in many different sports and, of course, the Federation of Gay Games, which have been held since 1982 every 4 years.
In addition to this, Rakesh Ghildiyal, M.D., D.P.M., states in his National Institute of Health study “Sports helps an individual much more than in the physical aspects alone. It builds character, teaches and develops strategic thinking, analytical thinking, leadership skills, goal setting and risk taking, just to name a few.” 1
In 2020, The KindRED Pride Foundation will host the inaugural Pride Cup featuring exciting tournament action in Tennis, Kickball, Golf, Beach Volleyball, Ballroom/Sport Dancing and E-Sports. As a proud sponsor, The Federation of Gay Games joins The KindRED Pride Foundation in bringing athletes from around the world to compete in world class sport competitions. The ultimate goal is to have LGBT+ sporting events at The Pride Cup televised around the world!
3. We Are One – An Extravaganza for Diversity & Inclusion Benefit Concert
Picture your favorite performers – music, dance, comedy, drag – all at one venue helping to raise awareness for the non-profits supported by the KindRED Pride Foundation. The We Are One benefit concert is a star-studded fundraiser scheduled to held at the House of Blues at Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida in June, 2020.
Last year, over 1,000 attendees attended the concert and enjoyed an evening full of landmark performances at the House of Blues at Disney Springs. This year, sights are set to make it even bigger and better. Efforts are underway to identify top talent to recognize the historic 30 year anniversary of the first Red Shirt Pride Day at Walt Disney World® Resorts. We have the Orlando Magic Arena on hold and, with your help, we could fill the stadium with “KindRED Spirits” from around the world. Think Katy Perry, Elton John, Lady Gaga, etc.!
Request for Support
The KindRED Pride Foundation respectfully requests partner and foundation support for our 30th Red Shirt Pride Day Anniversary programming events during the weekend of June 4-8, 2020.
Partner opportunities for Red Shirt Pride Day, The Pride Cup, or “We Are One” are summarized below with more details at:
SPONSORSHIP KIT
How the Impact Will be Measured
The Impact of the KindRED Pride Foundation’s efforts can be measured by the number of attendees who participate in events throughout the year. In 2018, over 1,000 people attended the We Are One Benefit Concert, and over 12 countries participated in RED Shirt Pride Day Around the World on Saturday June, 1. This year, the number is expected grow with the addition of “Santa’s Bike Force” and The Pride Cup.
Participants in all of the Foundation’s events are encouraged to post and share their pictures and memories via social media and within their respective communities. Their stories represent priceless memories and provide vital qualitative data. These stories, images and memories can be used for advocacy efforts throughout the world to help spread the mission of Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression and Kindness.
1 “Role of Sports in the Development of an Individual and Role of Psychology in Sports”, 2015. Rakesh Ghildiyal, M.D., D.P.M., US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381313/
501 c 3 Approval Letter as of February 1 – 2019
