Rockford Area Pride Parade raises $10K to support The LIAM Foundation
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The committee that puts on the annual Rockford Area Pride Parade has gifted The LIAM Foundation with $10,000 it raised from this year’s festivities.
The check was presented Tuesday at The LIAM Foundation’s center, 1005 Fifth Ave. in the Midtown District.
“The LIAM Foundation is the premier organization that is serving the LGBTQ+ community in and around Rockford,” said Andrew J. Mertzenich, co-chairperson of the Rockford Area Pride Committee. “You can’t find an organization more deserving.”
The parade, which happened June 7, raises money through sponsorships, parade entry fees and other donations. This year’s gift doubles the amount the organization raised for The LIAM Foundation last year, Mertzenich said.
“We had a very successful second year of our pride parade,” said Darcy Pinasco, co-chairperson of the Rockford Area Pride Committee. “It was a lot of work, but we pulled it together. It went smoothly and successfully, the weather cooperated, and we had fun.”
The LIAM Foundation, which works to empower and encourage the local LGBTQ+ community, hosts peer-support groups, movie nights, poetry nights and other community-building events. The money donated helps support those events and can go toward purchasing gender-affirming clothing and other items for its secondhand boutique.
The parade is held on the same day as the annual Pride Alley Party, giving a full day of celebration for Rockford’s LGBTQ+ community that brings together people from all walks of life, said Phyllis Gallisath, founder and executive director of The LIAM Foundation.
Gallisath has now been doing advocacy work in Rockford for a decade, starting shortly after her son, Liam, came out as transgender.
“The community itself — the Rockford community of queer people — has just become stronger, more present and visible,” Gallisath said. “It’s just been awesome to see it unfold.”
Photos: Rockford Area Pride Parade 2025 in downtown Rockford
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
