By Times Chronicle Staff
Osoyoos Council has approved a further grant of $4,747 to the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Pride Society to assist with the funding of the second annual Pride Arts Festival in Osoyoos this fall.
The approval comes after Council’s Grant Evaluation Committee (GEC) evaluated the SOS Pride Society’s Community Service grant request.
The Pride Society had originally submitted a request for $10,000 and previously received $5,253 through the Resort Municipality Initiative earlier this year.
The Committee called a meeting to review the application and with a remaining budget of $6,717 in the Community Service Grant Program topped up the total grant amount.
“The Committee wanted to support the festival as it was successful in its first year and wanted to make sure it continued,” the report to council read.
As such the Committee made a recommendation to provide $4,747 from the Community Service Grant Program which was approved at the April 11 Regular Council Meeting.
Councillor Jim King, who along with councillors Myers Bennett and Johnny Cheong is a member of the GEC, noted that the committee discussed the application at length – for nearly one hour – before reaching a decision.
Last year’s inaugural event was widely touted as a huge success for its wide variety of entertainment, food and drink options and inclusive environment.
The event was organized by SOS Pride and the local Wide Arts National Association (WANA).
The event came after various attempts to get a Pride Festival in Osoyoos off the ground were hampered over the years by various challenges.
