COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR)— In a matter of just five hours, two different groups of people working together have raised thousands of dollars to help open a new Pride Center in Colorado Springs.
“The ball is rolling just in the few hours that we’ve started,” Greg Resha, one of the organizers, said.
Summer Westerbur, also an organizer, said the groups are working with multiple nonprofits to get the money organized and hopefully get a location picked out and get the doors open. She said the former Pride Center in Colorado Springs closed back in 2015 and Club Q took over the responsibility, giving the LGBTQ community a safe space.
“Club Q is the only place they felt safe,” Westerbur said.
Resha, who went to Club Q often, said he had friends who were victims of the horrific shooting.
“There are three people I know of. Two of them, we’ve heard their names — Derrick and Daniel — and Tara, the DJ that night, she’s my friend. We just heard she’s going to be OK and pull through. So that’s good news,” Resha said.
He said he learned about the shooting after receiving a phone call early Sunday morning.
“I got a call at 4 in the morning asking if I was OK, and I thought, what am I going to do about this?” Resha said.
A new Pride Center, he said, is what came to mind. It would be a location offering a variety of services for those in the LGBTQ community, including therapy and counseling.
“We know there is longer-term help needed,” Resha said.
There is no time estimate on when the new Pride Center would open, but both organizers hope it is open soon. They are also working with a Pride Center based out of Florida for guidance and help.
“There is a need for LGBTQ-competent support and services. The victim’s families will have ongoing needs and the community will need a space to process this trauma,” Westerbur said.
As of now, there is no estimate on when or if Club Q will reopen.