Cleveland Special Events Corp. set to lead 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland +Akron, Ohio, USA, 9-16 August 2014
San Francisco, CA – (16 October 2010) The international Federation of Gay Games signed a contract on 30 September 2010 with Cleveland Special Events Corp. to hold the license to operate the 2014 Gay Games. Co-President of the Federation of Gay Games, Kurt Dahl, and FGG Technology Officer, Gene Dermody, met with the new group in Cleveland on 16 October 2010.
The new organisation represents the LGBT community and high-profile civic leaders of Cleveland. The City of Cleveland will continue to be very involved in assisting the world’s largest sports and cultural event to come to Cleveland-Akron, Ohio. Local tourism representatives with local LGBT sports, cultural and community civic leaders have joined forces to organise the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland.
Federation of Gay Games Co-President, Kurt Dahl, is very pleased with the new organisation. “The high calibre of people and organisations that are part of this group is incredible and will help ensure wide support in the state of Ohio. I am very impressed to see Mayor Frank G. Jackson's involvement. Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 was helped greatly this year in Cologne, Germany, by the local city government and the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.”
“The Gay Games in 2014 will shine a national and international spotlight on the City of Cleveland. Our representatives either lead or are a part of some of Cleveland’s and the region’s most dynamic institutions and will help show the world our greatness,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson.
The Cities of Cleveland and Akron were awarded the Games last year following a competitive bidding process. Cleveland City Council passed legislation in support of the Gay Games in 2014. The games will take place in Cleveland August 9-16, 2014.
Cleveland Special Events Corp. board member Nathan Tolliver is ready to work in this group. ”As an openly gay African-American young man, who also happens to be a native of Cleveland, it is truly an honour and a privilege to be involved in the world's largest sporting and cultural event organised by and specifically for LGBT athletes, musicians, artists. I am very excited about the impact this special event that brings together people from all over the world will have on the city of Cleveland and particularly our own LGBT community.”
Board member Hollie Ksiezyk commented on how current bullying issues tie in to the importance of the 2014 event. “At a time where there is so much pain and grief surrounding LGBT youth, we look forward to reaching out to our schools and young people in the community to provide a safe outlet and environment among friends and family. It’s reassuring to know that Cleveland is a place where rich culture and diverse traditions welcome opportunities to collaborate on historic projects like the Gay Games."
More info on the board of directors after the jump.
CLEVELAND SPECIAL EVENTS CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Mayor Frank G. Jackson, Chair
Mr. Dirk M. Breiding, Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mr. Joe Cimperman, Cleveland City Council
Mr. Jan Cline, LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
Ms. Michelle R. DeLozier, WH2, Girl Jam Cleveland & HERricane Cleveland
Ms. Susan M. Doerfer, Equality Ohio
Mr. Scott Finerman, Second Generation, Ltd.
Mr. David E. Gilbert, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission
Ms. Hollie M. Ksiezyk, LGBT Community Representative
Ms. Valarie J. McCall, City of Cleveland
Mr. Dennis J. Roche, Positively Cleveland, Convention & Visitor’s Bureau
Mr. Joseph D. Roman, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Nathan Tolliver, LGBT Community Representative
Ms. Michelle Tomallo, Vice President of Fit Technologies (LGBT business) & Plexus Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Ted Wammes, President, G2H2
ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES:
Kevin Schmotzer, Department of Economic Development
Meredith Scerba, Greater Cleveland Sport’s Commission, Sports Athlete
Sharon Gronowski, Positively Cleveland
Eric Lutzo, President & Co-Founder, Plexus
Greater Cleveland Sports Commission
“We are thrilled that there is renewed commitment from FGG to host the Gay Games in Cleveland. We are confident in our community's ability to put on the best Games ever and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission stand ready to assist in any way possible."
-- David Gilbert
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is a non-profit economic development organisation that attracts, manages, and creates national and international sporting events in Northeast Ohio. The organisation has been directly responsible for more than 100 events since 2000: eight NCAA [US university sport] Championships, including the Women's Final Four [basketball], and fourteen Olympic sport championships, including the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, U.S. Gymnastics Championships and USA Boxing Olympic Trials, International Children's Games, National Senior Games, and Gravity Games. The organisation has been voted the Sports Commission of the Year by the National Association of Sports Commissions, and its Continental Cup international youth sports festival has been voted the best locally-owned event in the U.S.
Positively Cleveland/Convention and Visitors Bureau
Positively Cleveland promotes Cleveland Plus as a business and leisure travel destination to impact the economy. Through proactively marketing Cleveland, aggressively selling to bring conventions, trade shows, conferences and motor-coach groups in and providing award winning convention services to every group, we are contributing to the overall success in building Cleveland’s economy as a tourist and meeting destination. We will promote the "CLE+" destination to ensure an even bigger success for the 2014 Games in Cleveland + Akron.
Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau
“We are tremendously proud and equally excited to be joining Cleveland as host of the 2014 Gay Games. We will be extending a welcoming hand to let the FGG know that we are eagerly counting the years, months and days leading up to their visit to Ohio. Our communities look forward to celebrating the diversity of sports, cultures and people who will gather to share their passion for athletic competition.”
-- Susan Hamo
Since 1973, the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau (A/SCVB) has been promoting the benefits of hosting meetings, events and tours in Greater Akron, Ohio. In recent years, the A/SCVB has been expending a significant amount of time and resources to highlight the wide variety of amateur and professional athletic venues available in our region.
LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
"The LGBT Community Center is pleased to part of the planning team that will make Gay Games IX a big success in Cleveland. This is a great opportunity to showcase to the world everything great about Northeast Ohio, Cleveland + Akron."
-- Mr. Jan Cline
Founded in 1975, the Center is a community-based non-profit agency working toward a society free of homo-negativity, homophobia and gender identity oppression by advancing the respect, human rights and dignity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. For more than 35 years, we've been building Community from the Center: Social Justice, Social Services, and Social Events & Programs.
Plexus Chamber of Commerce
"Plexus is the Chamber of Commerce for the LGBT Community and Allies serving Northeast Ohio. The word 'plexus' is defined as 'a structure in the form of a network', which is how the chamber seeks to operate. Organised in 2006, Plexus seeks to provide education, coordination and support for LGBT professional business owners and allied individuals and organisations in the business world.”
-- Eric Lutzo, President and Co-Founder.
Equality Ohio
"Equality Ohio envisions an Ohio where everyone feels at home; where equality, diversity and inclusiveness are universally valued; and where government protects all people and responds to their needs, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. To achieve its vision, EOEF serves as an advocate and champion for fair treatment and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens; facilitates a greater understanding of our common humanity through education and outreach efforts; engages and empowers individuals, families, organisations, businesses, and institutions in Ohio’s urban, suburban, and rural areas; and collaborates with local, regional, state-wide, and national organisations and government agencies. “I am thrilled to be working as part of a team to bring the Gay Games to Cleveland.”
-- Sue Doerfer, Executive Director
Cleveland City Council
"On behalf of Council President Sweeney, Cleveland City Council is most excited that the Games are now only three years away. This will be the largest cultural and athletic event of any kind in Cleveland and Ohio's history, and we can hardly wait for it, it will be amazing."
-- Councilman Joe Cimperman.
Wh2
"In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Make each day count and live life to the fullest. We are not promised tomorrow, so make a difference today!" -- Michelle DeLozier
WH2 is an organisation for women in the cities of Cleveland and Akron and all of Northeast Ohio. WH2 was formed in 2009 by Michelle DeLozier and one other co-founder and is a place for women in our community to gather monthly for business, social and charitable networking. WH2 has grown substantially within the past year and is now recognised as the largest event for women in our community monthly. WH2 has also combined efforts with G2H2, thus creating unity within our community. We are excited to announce that our schedule is now booked through June of 2010 and we look forward to a very successful year to come.
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The ninth edition of the quadrennial Gay Games will be held in Cleveland + Akron, Ohio, USA 9-16 August 2014. For information about Gay Games IX Cleveland 2014, visit www.gaygames.org.
For information about the Federation of Gay Games, visit www.gaygames.org www.gaygames.org.
Additional biographies and photos are available upon request.
About The Federation of Gay Games:
The international Federation of Gay Games is the governing body the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best”™. The Gay Games was conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and was first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Subsequent Gay Games were held in San Francisco (1986 - 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990 - 7,300 participants), New York (1994 - 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998 - 13,000 participants), Sydney (2002 - 11,000 participants), Chicago (2006 - 11,700 participants), and Cologne, (2010 – 10,000 participants). Gay Games IX will be held in Cleveland, OH 9-16 August 2014.
“Gay Games”, “Federation of Gay Games”, the interlocking circles device, and the phrase “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best” are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc. Trademarks are registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, Germany and Australia.
Media contact:
Kelly Stevens, FGG Officer of Communications
Email kstevens@gaygames.org
Telephone +1 206-446-6983
Skype: kelly.stevensusa
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