Federation of Gay Games announces 2010 Volunteers of the Year

The international Federation of Gay Games (FGG) announced today its 2010 Volunteers of the Year.

The Federation has honoured one or more Volunteers of the Year each year since 2007. Last year saw the official introduction of parity in the award, with the designation of male and female winners, Hlengiwe Buthelezi and Ian McMahon, both from South Africa. This year, the Federation has decided to recognize volunteers from the host organization of Gay Games VIII alongside volunteers from the FGG itself.

The Volunteer of the Year Award, represented by the Cape Town Cup*, will be presented at the FGG Awards Reception during Gay Games VIII to the following individuals:

Federation volunteers Roz Quarto (New York, New York) and Jason Stone (Seattle, Washington)
Games Cologne volunteers Barbara Strewinski (Cologne, Germany) and Philipp Lischke (Sydney, Australia).


FGG co-president Kurt Dahl (Chicago) said: “Every four years, the Federation and our host manage to organize one of the largest sports and culture festivals in the world, a task carried out almost entirely by volunteers. As a current volunteer for the FGG, and a former volunteer for the host organization for Gay Games VII, I am well aware of the value all our volunteers contribute, and both the sacrifices and satisfactions this work entails. The expertise of people such as Roz and Jason represents value that the FGG would be unable to procure otherwise. And I am pleased that we will be recognizing Barbara and Philipp, who each represent the very best in the quality and energy of the volunteers Games Cologne has brought to this project. I hope that our friends in Cologne will realize that through these outstanding people, we are recognizing each of them.”

Roz Quarto of New York City served as operations director for Gay Games IV in 1994, and later as female co-president of the Federation. In 2009 she graciously accepted the FGG’s invitation to return to active duty, serving on the site inspection team for the choice of the host of Gay Games IX in 2014. Since then, she has brought her talents as a sports organizer and attorney to the Gay Games IX steering committee which brings together representatives of the FGG and our host organization in Cleveland.

Jason Stone of Seattle, Washington, is a member and a driving force of the Orcas swim team, and a valued member of the FGG’s Legal Advisory Committee. His pro bono work as an attorney represents an asset that would be difficult to replace. He has been involved both with Gay Games VIII, and in particular with the FGG review of terms and conditions and participant policies, and with Gay Games IX, notably with work on contracts for the future FGG registration system.

Barbara Strewinski of Cologne, Germany, wears countless hats, both within FGG member SC Janus, which she represents as delegate to the FGG, and Games Cologne. FGG delegates had the opportunity of witnessing her energy and skills at last year’s annual general assembly, which she organized with Armin Lohrmann. Within the Games Cologne organization, she is a jack of all trades, involved in any number of projects, and in particular relations with printers for the massive amount of printed materials Gay Games VIII requires.

Philipp Lischke of Woolloomooloo (Sydney), Australia, has been a volunteer for Games Cologne from the earliest days of the project. A long-time member of SC Janus, he was a founding member of Games Cologne, and continued his work after moving to Australia, where he represents the Koelnmesse exhibition centre. He has been the driving force behind the highly successful promotion of Gay Games VIII in Australia, and in ensuring the presence of Olympic medallist Matthew Mitcham in Cologne.

*Bonus question: Why is the Volunteer of the Year trophy known as the Cape Town Cup?
The first FGG Volunteer of the Year was named at the 2007 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, but there was no special trophy representing the award. During the 2008 Annual Meeting in Cape Town, the mayor of the city presented the FGG with the gift of a piece of "functional art" from noted South African designer Carrol Boyes. The gift, a cast stainless steel water jug, seemed a perfect choice to become the trophy for Volunteer of the Year, a transformation carried out with the help of a Parisian goldsmith. After spending a year back in South Africa with last year's winners, the Cape Town Cup has made its way to Cologne for the 2010 Volunteers of the Year.