BOISE, Idaho — In just one week, Boise Pride will light the capitol building.
But this year, festival organizers needed some financial help. Executive Director Donald Williamson said it typically costs the nonprofit about $5,000 to light the building.
Now, it costs about $15,000 because they have to set up lights across the street instead of in front of the capitol steps, he said.
Williamson said Boise Pride sent out a request about two weeks ago, asking for money. Community members and a new sponsor had no problem stepping up to the plate.
"The community had raised a little over $7,000 and Lime stepped in and basically filled out the less than $3,000 gap to get us where we needed to be to make it happen," he said.
Hayden Harvey, senior manager of government affairs, said Lime stepped in after its Boise workers flagged corporate's attention. Previously, the company received several calls to drop their sponsorship.
"We jumped at the opportunity to continue to support our partner Boise Pride and make sure that the Capitol is lit in support of all queer Boiseans and Idahoans," Harvey said.
Williamson said they needed the financial support because lighting the capitol from across the street costs more money.
"It requires a much bigger light with a much higher number of lumens to be able to project the light from across the street and still give the imagery that we're trying to put up the capitol building with the separation of the different colors," he said.
It is not just Boise Pride having to move their lights. In a statement, a Department of Administration spokesperson said they have turned down multiple requests from multiple organizations to light the building.
The decision dates back to a 2018 department policy, when they "recognized the subjectivity of approving these requests" with different symbols and colors."
While the department has made some exceptions over the last couple of years, the spokesperson said they are enforcing the policy more consistently in order to be "respectful of all organizations, causes, and occasions."
Even though Williamson said moving the lights off government property is not ideal, he is grateful for all the support.
"It's a relief to know that we don't have to struggle at the end of the festival to figure out where that money is going to come from," he said.
Boise Pride starts on Sept. 8 and runs through Sept. 10. The capitol will be lit up on the Sept. 8 and 9.
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