We have been blown away by the community support for the Etcetera Youth Group. So many local initiatives and businesses went above and beyond this Pride 2021 season to use their platforms to bring awareness to the weekly 2SLGBTQIA+ youth group. This incredible group is a place for young people and their allies to feel supported, celebrated, and empowered in the community. Program manager, Avril Paice, shares more about the group and its history in one of our recent blogs, Etcetera Youth Group: Happy Pride Month!, we encourage you to check it out!

With efforts still ongoing to raise money and awareness for the Glitter Critters, we wanted to share a bit more about the local businesses that got involved for Pride 2021 celebrations and the impact that they have had…

Anna Quartz Artist was founded by Bri in 2018 and focuses on crystal-infused, geode-inspired artwork. She custom-created Pride-themed charcuterie boards with 20% of each sale being donated to the Glitter Critters. She completely sold out and donated $165 to Etcetera!

BLVD Shoes, locally owned by Sena and Rob, is a fresh new shoe store found in Orchard Park Mall. They brought in an exciting variety of Pride-inspired footwear and will be donating all profits while supplies last to Etcetera Youth Group! So far the total is nearly $300 raised.

Born To Shake is operated by Kelowna-locals Nicole and Shayne. They brought back their Flower Sour Cocktail Kit for Pride Month and with $2 from every kit sold were able to donate $50 to the Glitter Critters!

Bright Jenny is a one-of-a-kind café and roastery in the heart of Kelowna. Stop by for a special Pride-themed drink with partial proceeds supporting Etcetera.

Luxe & Love Creations are made by Okanagan-local Michaela Gagne. She created three specialty earring designs for her Pride Collection and helped to bring attention to the Etcetera program and donating an amazing $587.50 to the Glitter Critters.

Oranj Fitness Kelowna teamed up with Central Kitchen + Bar to bring the community a Parking Lot Pedal Party in support of SIX different local charities. On Saturday, June 19th, the 8 AM ride was dedicated to Etcetera raising a total of $322!

Rose Valley Veterinary Hospital, located in West Kelowna, has been taking care of our community's furry friends since 2010. They donated a whopping $1,000 from ALL nail trims during the month of June to Etcetera!

Pillow Talk Studios hosted a fundraiser on August 29th to empower the community through her photography and raised $1,200 for the Glitter Critters.

SmackDAB at Eldorado Resort celebrated global Pride month with a unique feature drink from June 25th - 27th. They raised $500 for Etcetera! 

SPINCO Kelowna hosted their Pride Rides at the Waterfront Stages in downtown Kelowna on Saturday, June 19th. Proceeds from ALL THREE rides were donated to the Etcetera Youth Group for a total of $270!

The Cake Mama is a local boutique baking company owned and operated by Izabela De Paz. She created custom Pride goodies for her June market (that we can confirm were drool-worthy!) and was able to donate $75 to Etcetera.

You Are Collective is a mental health social enterprise founded by advocates, Rebecca and Michael. They teamed up with Cyan Bold Design to create their second annual Pride Collection available only until September 30th with proceeds to Etcetera Youth Group.

We can’t thank these businesses and organizations enough for thinking of the Glitter Critters and putting their time and effort into supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Be sure to check them out, including the ongoing initiatives, and we’ll see you soon at Kelowna Pride’s festivities from September 10th-19th!