In 2022, Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington participated in the Seattle PRIDE parade for the first time in its 100-year history. As a company committed to inclusion and diversity, this was a big moment for us to take an active stance in being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. As the lead designer, I was tasked with creating PRIDE celebration merchandise that our employees would proudly wear at the event. My goal was to create festive items that would also be cherished by employees long after the parade was over. I produced several concepts for apparel, Evergreen Goodwill branded flags, sunglasses, pronoun pins, and more. All of the merchandise was a hit with the employees and participants of the parade.

To ensure future availability of branded merchandise, I worked with a local apparel company called Fingers Duke in Bremerton, Wa to create an online store where Evergreen Goodwill employees could purchase the branded merchandise. This store will also be used to establish future branded merch for employees to purchase to help take pride in and strengthen the Evergreen Goodwill branding.

In addition to the PRIDE merchandise, the Digital Equity Bus (DEB) was prominently featured in the parade as the main attraction for Evergreen Goodwill. The DEB was driven through the parade with our employees walking next to it, showcasing our commitment to digital equity and inclusion. Overall, the PRIDE parade was a great success, and we look forward to future opportunities to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community.