The 519's Green Space Festival a huge success with over 46,000 attendees during WorldPride Toronto weekend

The 519 raised an estimated $400,000 during its four-day Green Space festival celebrating WorldPride

TORONTO, June 30, 2014 /CNW/ - The 519 Church Street Community Centre announced today that over 46,000 people – a record crowd - attended the seventh annual Green Space Festival, which included a series of six legendary events at Cawthra Square Park and the Ryerson University Quad during WorldPride Toronto weekend from June 26-29, 2014.

Green Space Festival, headlined by local and international artists and DJs, raised an early estimated $400,000 in support of year-round programs and services at The 519, a 33% increase over last year. The 519 is the centre of the LGBTQ community in the heart of Toronto's downtown.

Green Space Toronto was presented by TD Bank Group and supported by partners including OUTtv, Mill Street Brewery, Ryerson University, Jack Daniel's (BF Canada), NATIONAL Public Relations, Blu Energy Drinks, Eska, Downtown Subaru, Shangri-La Hotel, Loblaws, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Xtra!, IN Magazine, MyGayToronto and fugues. Green Space Toronto was made possible through the support of over 700 volunteers.

QUOTES:

"We want to thank the community, our partners and volunteers for their tremendous support over the past weekend. With WorldPride in Toronto this year, we are proud to have hosted more than 46,000 people from Toronto and all over the world. Together, we achieved a great thing: significant funding for year-round programs and services for people in our community"

Tyler Fleming, Chair of The 519 Board of Management.

"This weekend was a great demonstration of what is possible when our City and community comes together to celebrate and raise funds for The 519's programs and services. I want to thank our 519 Board, staff, volunteers and sponsors for their incredible assistance in making our Green Space Festival such a success."

Maura Lawless, The 519 Executive Director

"Green Space Toronto is more than a great fundraising opportunity, it is a celebration that brings to life The 519's commitment to creating cultural spaces for our communities. This year we brought in an even bigger line-up of entertainment, from Grammy Award nominated DJs to performances from the top four of RuPaul's Drag Race season six. The festival continues to grow year after year bringing thousands of people together for an exceptional time in our beautifully-appointed spaces. We're already excited about next year!"

Mathieu Chantelois, Green Space Festival Honorary Chair

QUICK FACTS

• The 519 welcomed over 46,000 people during the four-day festival.
• Early estimates indicate over $400,000 was raised in support of The 519's year-round community programming.
• Over the past seven-years, Green Space Toronto has raised more than $1 million for The 519.
• More than 4,500 volunteer hours contributed to the festival's success.
• Performances by Bianca Del Rio, Courtney Act, Adore Delano and Darienne Lake, the top four drag queens from OUTtv's RuPaul's Drag Race season six.
• Over four days Green Space Toronto offered 30 hours of free – high caliber – international programming.

For more details, visit www.greenspaceto.org.   

About Green Space Toronto
Green Space Festival is The 519's biggest fundraising event of the year that attracts over 40,000 guests to a series of landmark events during Toronto's pride weekend. Since its introduction in 2008, Green Space Toronto quickly became a must-attend festival that caters to LGBTQ communities and allies.

Green Space Toronto's dynamic four-day celebration is programmed with specific themes that appeal to many diverse communities with entertainment ranging from DJs, live music and dance performances that span electro, house, folk, hip hop and international music genres. The high caliber productions that span the festival feature national and international artists, providing amazing outdoor shows in gorgeous tree-lined venues at Cawthra Square Park and the Quad at Ryerson University. 

Starry Night, the festival's kick-off event welcomes more than 5,000 revelers to the park each year, including community leaders, politicians from all levels of government, and artists, as well as local and national media.

About The 519
The 519 Church Street Community Centre is an agency of the City of Toronto with a mandate for building healthier, more welcoming communities for Toronto's downtown and LGBTQ residents. A registered charity, The 519 receives core funding to maintain public access to its building while attracting individual, corporate and government investment in its programs. In 2013, The 519 received more than $2.87 in community investment for every dollar provided in core funding. Through innovative and engaging community programs and partnerships, The 519 enables over 200,000 people to meet, participate and celebrate together every year.

Follow the excitement on Twitter using the hashtags @519 and @GreenSpaceTO

SOURCE: The 519 Church Street Community Centre

Media Contact: Meaghan Moroz, NATIONAL Public Relations, 416-848-1450, [email protected]