Suburban Toronto has a new bus taking residents to wherever they need to go… it’s a giant pink bus, with images of famous LGBTQ Canadians on its side. Inside, the bus is filled with facts, information cards, and words of encouragement, all meant to educate people on the LGBTQ community, as well as to inspire LGBTQ riders to feel comfortable being themselves.

The idea for the bus began with the nonprofit LoveisLoveisLove, after famed Canadian philanthropist Kathryn E. Langley Hope gave the organization a hefty donation to make it happen.

The goal was to operate the bus during Pride Month, and to purposefully put the bus on routes in the more suburban communities of Toronto, rather than the inner city. As Kathryn E. Langley Hope put it

“What drove me to support the launch of the BIG GAY BUS was the opportunity to expose a new and broader audience to positive LGBTQ+ messaging, as well as envisioning a Canadian seeing the brilliantly colorful, yet informative, bus for the first time!”

The reception to the bus was positive, and there was demand to keep it in operation. But to make that happen, the bus needed corporate sponsors. Luckily for them, a high-profile PR firm, Hall and Co. (who have previously worked with global brands like Microsoft, Ford, Samsung, and Nestle) stepped in, and offered pro bono assistance to the cause.