Seattle Pride seeks to whittle 2006 debt during weekend fest

If you're planning to check out today's Seattle Pride Parade, don't forget your rainbow flag — and your checkbook.

Seattle Out and Proud, the nonprofit group producing the gay-pride parade, still owes the city about $94,000 for the 2006 festival. Organizers say it's the one blemish in a decades-long labor of love.

Seattle's annual Pride Parade, launched 35 years ago, used to trek down Broadway on Capitol Hill and end with a festival in Volunteer Park. But in 2006, organizers decided to try something new — a downtown parade ending in a three-day PrideFest at Seattle Center.

"That's where the inexperience came in," says Jon Mejia, board member with Seattle Out and Proud, who said organizers were surprised when the bill for renting and staffing Seattle Center for three days came to about $95,700.

Since 2006, Seattle Out and Proud has paid some of what's owed — $10,400 — and struggled to raise the rest.

An independent company, One Degree Events, has organized the post-parade festival since 2007.

In April, the city sued Seattle Out and Proud for more than $128,000, which included about $43,000 in interest and court costs.

The parties settled on a deal: If Seattle Out and Proud can meet six scheduled payments over the next five years, the city will waive the interest and penalty fees. If Out and Proud can't make the payments, the city will demand the entire sum.

"We fully expect to get this handled," said Mejia. "If everybody pulls together, we can do this thing."

At today's parade, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people, volunteers will distribute "Peace, Love and Equality" buttons in exchange for a donation in what Mejia calls the group's "first really strong fundraising campaign."

Other upcoming fundraising events include an art auction in July and an end-of-summer bash in September. People also can donate online at seattlepride.org.

And sure, Mejia said, maybe the fundraising effort should have started in 2006, when the debt started.

But now?

"It's time," Mejia said. "Let's get rid of it."

Lindsay Toler: 206-464-2463 or ltoler@seattletimes.com