The international Federation of Gay Games (FGG) announced today the winners of its 2010 Federation Legacy Awards that recognise outstanding participation in the Gay Games in this year of Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Germany.
The Federation Legacy Awards were first presented at the FGG’s 25th Anniversary Dinner in 2007. In 2009, Legacy Awards were presented at the FGG Annual General Meeting for scholarship and research, youth outreach and coaching, sports events, fundraising, and journalism. This year’s honourees are all participants in multiple Gay Games who have demonstrated the true spirit of the Gay Games motto of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best™.
Awards will be presented at a ceremony in Cologne during Gay Games VIII to the following:
Outstanding athlete: Paulette Meggoe (New York, New York) and Joseph Justin (Hopatcong, New Jersey)
Outstanding cultural participant: Connie Moore (Houston, Texas) and Loren McGlade (San Francisco, California)
Group fundraising: Cheer SF (San Francisco, California).
FGG co-president Emy Ritt (Paris, France) said: “As we approach the eighth edition of the Gay Games this summer, we wanted to remind the world that this event is for and about the thousands of men and women who have come together every four years since 1982 for a week of sport and culture. They are the reason the countless volunteers in the Federation, our hosts, our member organisations, and partners devote so much time and effort. These Legacy Awards will be presented to emblematic figures of the values of the Gay Games. Their engagement to participate to their fullest helps make their time at the Games and that of those around them a life-changing experience.”
Paulette Meggoe of New York City began competing in Gay Games cycling at Gay Games IV in New York in 1994, and has competed and medalled in every Gay Games since then, making significant financial sacrifices to do so. She is known as a mentor and champion for newcomers to the Games, in particular to women. She epitomises the spirit of the Gay Games with her integrity, attitude, and comradeship, taking each win or loss with humility.
Joseph “Joey” Justin of Hopatcong, New Jersey is a versatile athlete, competing in mainstream and LGBT bodybuilding, flag football, powerlifting, softball, track, and wrestling. He has competed in every Gay Games since 1994, and most recently in Chicago, where he competed in 11 events (in bodybuilding, flag football, softball, track) and took home 10 medals. His communicates his enthusiasm and joy in competing to all around him, and has proven to be the epitome of good sportsmanship. Despite his medal count, he has stated that the one he cherishes the most is the participation medal awarded to every athlete and artist at each Gay Games.
Connie Moore of Houston, Texas has been a member of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association for 22 years, and has participated in every Gay Games from Gay Games III in 1990. In addition to being a fine performer on the saxophone, Connie has been active in the LGBA and the FGG. Beyond her activities as a performer in these Gay Games, she has taken on the duties of executive producer of the various band events at Gay Games III and IV. This function is now handled by Gay Games host organizations, largely on the foundation built by Connie.
Loren McGlade of San Francisco, California has performed as a trumpet player in every Gay Games, with the exception of Gay Games I. He has been an active member of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association for 25 years. As a donor to the LGBA scholarship program, he has allowed many individual band members to participate in the Gay Games for the first time. His dedication and investment in every sense of the word has helped make Gay Games Band a success for over two decades.
Cheer San Francisco is the oldest lesbian, gay, bi and trans cheer squad in the world, founded 30 years ago. They have cheered at every Gay Games since Gay Games I in 1982. As of the 2006 announcement of Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Cheer San Francisco quickly implemented a fundraising campaign to raise enough money for as many members as possible to come to Cologne. They held weekly coat checks at LGBT venues, sold cookie dough, increased their public appearances to 43 events in 2009, sold coupons and sold game tickets to their pro team partners: San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, and San Francisco Giants. To date, Cheer SF has raised over USD 70,000 to send 40 representatives to the Gay Games VIII. Along with this Gay Games fundraising, Cheer SF has continued its ongoing charity donations, raising thousands of dollars each year, including for their 2010 fundraising beneficiary, the Positive Resource Center.
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