OUR HISTORY
Salisbury Pride was first organized by a group of friends who wanted a way to celebrate equality and diversity in Salisbury, NC. The first festival was held in 2011 and Salisbury Pride, Inc. was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2012.
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Salisbury Pride is managed by a board of directors but would not operate without the tireless work of countless volunteers and supporters.
Salisbury Pride was honored in 2014 to be presented with the Trailblazer Award from the Human Rights Campaign for our work in promoting visibility and increasing public support for and education about the LGBTQ+ community in Rowan County. (Media coverage by the Washington Post and Qnotes)
SALISBURY PRIDE AWARDS
Each year, the board of Salisbury Pride selects the recipients of two awards, which are presented on the Main Stage during the annual festival.
The Volunteer of the Year award recognizes a person or group who has served Pride in a volunteer role with dedication towards "Equality for All."
The Ralph Ketner Ally Award is given to a person or group for outstanding community leadership and changing hearts and minds in the community. This award is named for the late Ralph Ketner, co-founder and former CEO of Food Lion, who was a strong supporter of equality and diversity in Rowan County.
Recent winners of these awards are:
Volunteer of the Year Award
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2019 Maddi McDaniel
2018 Tricia Douglas
2017 Steve and Lina Drinkard
2016 Athena Moore
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Prior years:
Lynn Jacek
Rachel Carden & Trisha Merkwa
Julia Thomason
Amy Smith
Bob Lambrecht & Jon Planovsky
Andy Linker
Ralph Ketner Ally Award
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2019 'Tis the Season Spectacular Committee
2018 Maggie Blackwell
2017 Margaret Almeida
2016 Bill Stanback
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Prior years:
Sue Day Whitley
Ashley Jo Farmer
Mike Clawson
The Cataldo Family
Ralph Ketner