We are marching in the Seattle Pride Parade this coming Sunday, and we couldn’t be more excited to take part in the 45th annual edition of the parade.
This year we are a presenting sponsor.
Marching alongside us for the second year in a row will be Cocoon House—an Everett-based nonprofit fighting youth homelessness in Snohomish County.
We are big supporters of Cocoon House both financially and with our volunteer hours. Our Premera Social Impact program awarded Cocoon House a $1.6 million in grants to support its newly opened Colby Avenue Youth Center in downtown Everett.About 30 percent of the youth Cocoon House serves identify as LGBTQ. Cocoon House provides a full continuum of services through outreach, housing and prevention to more than 2,500 young people and their families each year.
CEO of Cocoon House Joe Alonzo joined us for the rising of the Pride flag at Premera’s Mountlake Terrace, Wash., campus.
Some of our most vulnerable community members are teens who identify as LGBTQ, and the normal struggles of growing up often come with a lack of acceptance from family and peers. Many of them are kicked out of their homes. LGBTQ youth are 120 percent more likely to experience homelessness as a result, and one in three will attempt suicide.
Walking in the parade gives us the chance to spend time with our coworkers and their families in support of the LGBTQ community. We’re also proud to walk alongside business partners like Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom and Starbucks.
Premera employees and their families marching at the Spokane Pride Parade earlier this month.
And for the second year, Premera was proud to partner with OutSpokane and be the lead sponsor of the Spokane Pride Parade earlier this month (pictured above). More than 80 Premera employees and their family members gathered to walk (or dance) in the annual parade, along the Premera float. It was colorful, upbeat and fun, with people coming together in the spirit of love and unity. Premera was in good company with some clients like BECU and Pemco.
