Annual Annie Malone May Day Parade postponed this year

It was perhaps an unplanned but still a disheartening visual commentary.

During a Thursday press conference, representatives of Annie Malone Children & Family Services stood behind a podium with a poster of an adorable Black child holding a brown, fuzzy teddy bear. Beside the child were the words: “Making Lives Better.”

Apparently, that mission has been compromised due to diminished funds. The situation is so dire that the nonprofit announced it was postponing its annual Annie Malone May Day Parade originally scheduled for May 18 this year- a St. Louis tradition for more than a century.

Annie Malone is a long-standing social service agency that provides crisis programming for the St. Louis region. Its mission is to “Improve the quality of life for children, families, older adults, and the community by providing social services, educational programs and advocacy.”

Funds raised from the parade support the agency’s programs that provide shelter, mental health services, and economic mobility opportunities for children and families facing crisis in St. Louis, according to its website.

Postponement was a tough choice, CEO Keisha Lee told reporters. 

“It wasn’t a light decision for my board or myself. Everybody had devastation in their eyes and all we could think or talk about was what this parade means to this community,” Lee said, detailing last week’s decision to postpone the parade. 

“But, looking at it, it was a business and ethical decision.”

In a previously released statement, Lee elaborated on the results of operating the agency with insufficient funds: “Right now, we have families who can’t afford their next meal or a safe place to sleep,” she said, adding that the organization grapples with the “difficult decision” to put children’s “needs first and ensure we are directing as many resources as possible toward providing real, life-changing support.”

“If we made the decision to push forward with the parade, it would hurt our programming. And, because of the state of our country, we know that families are more important.

When asked if federal cuts to social programs by the Trump Administration had played a role in the decision, Derrick Roberts, board treasurer, responded candidly.

“We know the landscape of our country right now and there are a lot of moving pieces to that so, we are strategically planning in that space. We don’t know what funding will look like for Annie Malone but we’re moving strategically to change some of our programming but we’re also looking at our finances…not just this year but upcoming years for our funding sources.”  

Roberts went on to say: “We want to make sure that we not only want to provide those services, but we want to provide them at a high-quality. To do that we need to make sure all our funds are available to help our families.”

Alderwoman Pamela Boyd, an Annie Malone board member, was straightforward.

“Trump,” she said when asked if funding attacks played a role.

“We are trying to hold on to our dollars to keep our programs going.

.Not only were some St. Louis citizens shocked by the news, Lee said some of their corporate sponsors were caught off guard as well.

“We got a call from White Castles asking, ‘What’s going on? Is this fake news?’ They were devastated about it. It felt good but it’s all about how organizations give and their decision-making about giving to nonprofits based on their budgets.”  

The agency announced a new fund-raising campaign, “Annie Malone: 136 Years of Impact—Join Us in Changing Lives.” The goal calls for one million people (locally, regionally and nationally) to make a one-time pledge of $136-a nod to the agency’s 136-year-history in St. Louis.

In the press statement, the agency wrote that it’s calling on “corporations, philanthropists, and community leaders to rally behind this mission, knowing that next year, the parade will come back stronger and better than ever before.”

“It’s very simple,” said John Bowman, president of the St. Louis County NAACP and former Annie Malone board member, added. “We’re a 501 C-3 organization, so, please step up. Let’s not wait on budget cuts to affect this organization; let’s make sure we take care of our own needs in our community.”

Lee was careful not to use the word “canceled” regarding the parade. She specified that, at this time, it’s only been “postponed.” It may return in 2026. Additionally, she said that she and fellow board members are discussing perhaps hosting another “less expensive” community, fund-raising event later this year.

According to an Annie Malone press statement, with “rising inflation, housing instability, and increasing food insecurity, families need more support than ever before. As the need continues to grow, we must shift our focus to raising the critical funds that help stabilize and strengthen our community.”

Asked if there was still a chance to resuscitate the annual parade this year, CEO Lee said that mid-March is the cutoff date for someone to step up with the necessary funds to successfully implement the event.

“This city has always been a ‘Show Me’ state community—one that steps up when it matters most,” Lee said. “Now, we are calling on corporations, philanthropists, and community leaders to rally behind this mission, knowing that next year, the parade will come back stronger and better than ever before.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Anyone interested in supporting Annie Malone’s efforts or becoming an “exclusive parade sponsor” next year, contact them at executiveassistant@anniemalone.com.

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