Bridgestone marks 10th year as Nashville Pride Festival sponsor

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Pride might only be celebrated one month each year, but Bridgestone Americas Inc. has been demonstrating its commitment to the Nashville LGBTQ+ community for a decade.

For the 10th consecutive year, Bridgestone was the presenting sponsor of the Nashville Pride Festival, which took place over the final weekend of June—Pride month.

Taking place on June 24-25, the festival featured more than 240 Nashville-area vendors, ranging from food trucks and art installations to a children's and family area that offered games, prizes and more. Bridgestone employees led the Nashville Pride Parade, held in conjunction with the event.

During the two-day festival, First Lady Jill Biden took the stage June 24 to share love and support from the White House. Nashville Pride Festival attendees also were encouraged to visit the Bridgestone Americas booth where they could share notes on the company's "Free to Be" board.

Bridgestone Americas' "Free to Be" initiative works toward creating an inclusive culture, empowering individuals to bring their unique selves to the workplace. The company's BPROUD initiative is part of that effort.

Through BPROUD, an employee resource group for LGBTQ+ teammates and allies, the company said it provides "a platform for connection and support both within Bridgestone and in the community."

The company's sponsorship of the parade takes those initiatives further for all of its Nashville employees and the community they call home.

"At Bridgestone, we're proud to be a presenting sponsor of the Nashville Pride Festival and Parade for 10 consecutive years," Sara Correa, chief marketing officer for Bridgestone Americas, said in a statement. "We are committed to promoting a culture that celebrates and champions the unique values, opinions, ideals and needs of our teammates, customers, communities and those that we serve. We believe this not only helps make us stronger as a company but strengthens Nashville as a whole."