As if that weren't financially daunting enough, the committee is still working with last year's debt as it makes plans for this year. The old debt is just about taken care of and the committee is optimistic that it won't be a problem for next year. Certainly not from money donated on Pride Day by the participants, generous though those contributions might be. According to Randy Violette, Pride committee liaison to the city of Burlington, organizers realized last year that the event alone would not pay for itself. Local businesses have been a source of donations in the past.
Pride also welcomes individual donations in advance of the event.
Besides cash donations, the committee depends on fundraising events from within the community. Jeff's Maine Seafood in St. Albans is again hosting a silent auction and evening of socializing to support the celebrations. But money isn't the only organizational challenge. There are a huge number of city rules and regulations to follow. Violette says that the security deposit on the park was not fully refunded last year because some vendors did not follow all the regulations.