ABOVE: Trulieve staff and supporters during Pride 2019. Photo courtesy Trulieve/VancoreJones Communications.
TALLAHASSEE | Florida’s largest medical cannabis provider Trulieve announced July 8 that the company had raised $50,123.60 for LGBTQ-focused organizations throughout the state in honor of Pride Month.
Trulieve announced its initiative June 1, unveiling a limited edition strain of cannabis oil called Rainbow Sherbert, an accompanying rainbow vaporizer and Pride-themed “TruSwag” including T-shirts and more. A portion of sales from their branded merchandise benefited eight partner organizations from Panama City to Miami.
According to the Office of Medical Marijuana, there are more than 360,000 active and registered medical marijuana patients. Trulieve consistently sells half of the state’s overall volume, the organization notes, striving to do so inclusively.
“Trulieve was built on the idea of investing in communities and in the people we employ and support, and we’re incredibly proud of how we’ve achieved these goals,” Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said while announcing their LGBTQ initiative last month. “We’ve worked hard to ensure that our internal team and the entire Truliever community feels safe, welcomed, and comfortable when they’re in our facilities, our dispensaries and at our events.
“As we begin our celebration of Pride Month, we are glad to be working with groups that make Florida a safer, more inclusive place for LGBTQ+ people,” she continued. “This month’s activities extend our long-term relationships with these non-profit organizations and build on our ongoing efforts to foster diversity and inclusion throughout the company. We believe in the work they are doing and are honored to support them during Pride Month especially, but also year-round.”
The more than $50,000 raised will be distributed before the end of July and split evenly. Beneficiaries include 26Health, Equality Florida, the LGBTQ Center of Bay County, Metro Inclusive Health, the One Orlando Alliance, Pridelines. QLatinx and the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber of Commerce, all of which Trulieve notes “are focused on LGBTQ+ and Diversity and Inclusion efforts across the state, with a strong focus on improving the health and wellness of their local communities.”
“Trulieve is a company that stands for the rights and dignity of all people, and we strive to create spaces that are safe, comfortable and welcoming to all,” Trulieve Chief Marketing Officer Valda Coryat says. “For years, we’ve worked with LGBTQ+-oriented organizations to support groups that are driving change and fostering diversity and inclusion in the communities we call home.
“Our theme, not just for Pride Month but year-round, is ‘Be Tru to You,’” Coryat continues. “It is a statement we aim to embody daily as an organization. We are incredibly proud to support non-profits and other community-based organizations from Pensacola to Key West that are focused on creating a community of diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.”
The organization thanked supporters of the initiative for making their fundraising efforts possible on July 13, sharing a graphic with leaders from each nonprofit receiving funds. “With your help, we were able to donate over $50k to 8 different LGBTQ+ organizations across the state,” they wrote.
A number of the beneficiaries responded in kind via social media.
“HUGE SHOUT OUT to Trulieve – and all the Truliever’s out there – who made Pride month so successful!” the One Orlando Alliance wrote. “Trulieve raised over $50,000 in June, as part of their #BeTruToYou program! They’re splitting that up between 8 LGBTQ+ organizations across Florida and we’re SO GRATEFUL to be one of their selected recipients!”
“Thank you Trulievers, with your help Trulieve was able to donate over $50k to 8 different LGBTQ+ organizations across the state — through their Pride initiative,” the Tampa Bay LGBT Chamber shared. “Thank you to all the LGBTQ+ organizations for continuing to strengthen our community, even in the most difficult times.”
“Participating in Pride Month is important to us as it underscores not only our commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, but also allows us to help ensure our partner organizations can continue to support, educate, and enrich their local communities,” Trulieve Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Lynn Ricci tells Watermark.
“Our dedication to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives involves creating a space that is welcoming to all people; paired with our compassionate core values, we’re thankful that our dedicated Truliever community came out in support to make this donation possible,” she continues. “These eight organizations are fostering powerful, progressive change throughout the state, and we’re honored to support them.”
To learn more about each beneficiary, click their names above or visit 26Health.org, EQFL.org, LGBTQCenterofBayCounty.org, MetroTampaBay.org, OneOrlandoAlliance.org, Pridelines.org, QLatinx.org and DiversityTampaBay.org. For more information about Trulieve, visit Trulieve.com.
