Featured events


7-9 September 2012
Brussels Games
Brussels

Brussels Gay Sports will offer a weekend of fun and fairplay in the capital of Europe, with volleyball, swimming, badminton, and tennis, as well as fitness and hiking.

Learn more HERE.
26-28 October 2012
QueergamesBern
Bern, Switzerland

The success of the first edition of the QueergamesBern proved the need for an LGBT multisport event in Switzerland. This year will be even bigger, with badminton, bowling, running, walking, floorball.

Learn more HERE.
17-20 January 2013
Sin City Shootout
Las Vegas
The 7th Sin City Shootout will feature softball, ice hockey, tennis, wrestling, basketball, dodgeball, bodybuilding and basketball.

Learn more HERE.

13-16 June 2013
IGLFA Euro Cup
Dublin
After this year's edition in Budapest at the EuroGames, the IGLFA Euro Cup heads to Dublin for 2013, hosted by the Dublin Devils and the Dublin Phoenix Tigers.

Learn more HERE.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Coming up at Federation of Gay Games Annual Meeting

Thursday will be the second day of the regular sessions of the FGG Annual Meeting. The day will be largely devoted to bylaw and board elections.

Bylaws to be proposed for approval by the Assembly aim to offer the FGG Board of Directors greater flexibility for organizing its meetings and other operations. A majority of board positions will be subject to a vote by the Assembly, with all current board members having submitted applications to return to the board.

Two year positions to be filled and their current occupants are Female Co-President (Emy Ritt, Paris), Female Vice President - Diversity (Laura Moore, New York), Vice President - Operations (Jon Baldan, Sydney), Vice President - Membership (Paul Oostenbrug, Chicago), Officer - Marketing (Doug Litwin, San Francisco), Officer - Sports 2 (Marc Naimark, Paris), Officer - International Development (Paul White, Sydney), Officer - Site Selection (Darl Schaaff, Anchorage), Officer - Development (vacant), Officer – Ceremonies (Robby Davis, Seattle). One-year positions for male co-president (Kurt Dahl, Chicago) and for VP External Affairs (Kate Rowe, Sydney) are also to be confirmed.
A number of applications for member at large have been received. The FGG Board is pleased to see this interest in new members, and is looking forward to working to expanding its range of skills and its capacity to manage the major projects it faces in the coming months.

Friday will be devoted to a morning session open to all on the subject of the Future of LGBT Sport and Culture, following the successful session on this subject run by the FGG during the 2009 World Outgames human rights conference. In the afternoon, sports managers for Games Cologne will show FGG delegates and sports coordinators the venues for Gay Games VIII at Sportpark Muengersdorf.

The board elected on Thursday will meet for the first time on Saturday morning, with a session devoted to new host Cleveland Synergy Foundation.

Special workshop on organization of Federation of Gay Games Annual Meetings

Adelina Santiago (IAGLMA), Fernando Carvajal (Movdeinchile), and Derek Liecty (Honorary Life Member)

The Federation of Gay Games devoted a special session today of its Annual Meeting to an important question for a growing international body: how can make its meetings accessible to the greatest number while making these meetings an integral tool for furthering its mission.

Currently the only "rule" for the organization of FGG Annual Meetings is that the AM held the year before the Gay Games takes place in the host city of the next Games. Thus, the FGG is meeting this year in Cologne, where Gay Games IX will take place from 31 July to 7 August 2010.

As the organization grows and reaches out to new members, many of them smaller NGOs and sports and culture organizations from developing countries, the cost of travel becomes more important. Among the suggestions reducing costs while maximizing impact is to hold the AM during the year of the Gay Games in or near the host city. Suggestions were heard, for example, for a short meeting to be held in Berlin or another European city next summer. Not only would such a meeting take advantage of the fact that representatives of most member organizations will already be present in Cologne, but it would offer the possibility to involve many new groups in the projects of the Federation.

Another suggestion is that the AM in the year following the Gay Games focus on geographic outreach,using the successful 2008 Cape Town AM as a model for involving new individuals and organizations. FGG delegates were delighted to receive a proposal from recent FGG member Movdeinchile to host the 2011 AM in Santiago, Chile.

Confident Clevelanders

Moments prior to their announcement as host of Gay Games IX, members of the Cleveland delegation warm up in the courtyard of the Wolkenburg event center.

Federation of Gay Games Annual Meeting continues


After the excitement of the Site Selection Meeting for the host of Gay Games IX in 2014 (Cleveland Rocks!), the work of the FGG continues in 2010 Gay Games host city Cologne, Germany.

After a morning session devoted to committee meetings (communications, technology, development, membership), the afternoon session opened with an impressive presentation by host committee Games Cologne. Co-presidents Annette Wachter and Michael Lohaus presented a complete overview of preparation, with an emphasis on promotion events in Cologne and around the world, all aimed at encouraging as many people as possible to "Be part of it!".

Registration numbers are ahead of schedule, with particularly strong turnouts in Road Races and Marathon and Cycling. Registration numbers are supported by the innovative "companion" programme, that for the first time will allow participants' partners, spouses, children, parents, and friends to fully share the Gay Games experience alongside participating athletes and artists. Fans and Friends will also benefit from an already rich progamme of activites, courses, and outings during the week of the Games.

Planning for sports is progressing well, with recruitment of volunteers and officials soon to open. On the culture side, the winner of the Gay Games VIII song contest will soon be announced. Cheerleading will add a medal contest to the traditional programme.

Preparation of infrastructure continues with work on accreditation, child care, security, etc. Child care will be provided with the support of the City of Cologne, using their municipal child care resources.

The presentation concluded with an inspiring video that will soon be online. By the end of the presentation, everyone in the room had donned their red Gay Games VIII tshirts as honorary members of Games Cologne !

Memorial Moment at Federation of Gay Games 2009 Annual Meeting



At this 2009 Memorial Moment, the quilt square was unfolded by representatives of the host of Gay Games VIII and of the three bidding cities for Gay Games IX, in the presence of Brent Nicholson Earle, initiator of this tradition.

The Memorial Moment was inaugurated at the 1997 Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado and has become an integral part of each Annual Meeting since.

This celebration was established to not only pay tribute to the members of our immediate and extended Gay Games family who have gone before us and to acknowledge their contributions to the Gay Games movement, but to also reflect upon the founding principles, goals and spirit of fellowship that unites us in our efforts to promote and support the Gay Games.

The Memorial Moment consists of three components:

1. Reading of names from the FGG Memorial List, to which additional names are added each year.

2. Ceremonial unfolding of the Federation of Gay Games Memorial Signature Quilt Square in the tradition established by the NAMES Project.

3. After the Quilt Square is unfolded, participants are welcome to write messages on the quilt and to make any public verbal statements of celebration concerning their loved ones.

As the Memorial Moment has evolved over the years, certain elements have been added optionally, such as musical accompaniment and dancing. During a Site Selection year, the Memorial Moment has had a healing and unifying effect, especially for the representatives and supporters of those cities that have not been selected to host the Gay Games.

The fact that we always make time within the busy schedule of every Annual Meeting to remember, honor and draw inspiration from the elders, upon whose shoulders we stand, is one of the hallmarks which distinguishes the Federation of Gay Games as we continue to work and build upon Tom Waddell’s revolutionary, transformative and empowering vision.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Site Selection draws over one hundred persons to Cologne


On the last day of the special Site Selection Meeting of the Federation of Gay Games. Among the more than 100 persons present at the Meeting were the many delegates from North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia present to help choose the host of Gay Games IX.

Federation of Gay Games thanks all bidders



The Federation of Gay Games wishes to extend its warmest thanks to the members of the bid organizations, to their supporters in business, government, and community organizations in Boston, Cleveland, and Washington. We hope that the strong relationships established during the bid process are just the beginning, and that we can all continue to work together to promote the Gay Games movement.

Federation of Gay Games website down

Due to heavy traffic generated by interest in the announcement of the host of Gay Games IX, the FGG website at gaygames.com and gaygames.org is currently unavailable. We regret this situation and are doing the best to work with our service provider to restore access to the site.

In the meantime all information about the FGG Annual Meeting and the choice of the host of Gay Games IX is available here on our blog.

Photos from announcement of host of Gay Games IX

Federation of Gay Games co-presidents Emy Ritt (Paris) and Kurt Dahl (Chicago), with honoured guest of the FGG, Dick Uyvari, winner with his late partner Joe LaPat of the first FGG Legacy Award for Outreach and Scholarship Support. Mr. Uyvari was asked to announce the name of the host of Gay Games IX.

Cleveland Rocks!Cleveland Deputy Mayor and Chief of Government Affairs Valarie McCall and Cleveland Synergy Foundation co-president Doug Anderson.
Presumptive host Cleveland received a gift from co-presidents of Games Cologne, Michael Lohaus and Annette Wachter.
Signature of a memorandum of understanding between the FGG and the Cleveland bid organization.Games Cologne team present at the announcement alongside their successors as Gay Games host from the Cleveland Synergy Foundation.Federation of Gay Games delegates, board members, and volunteers present at the announcement.

Gay Games will rock Cleveland in 2014!



Cleveland Chosen to Host 2014 Gay Games IX
Top flight venues, fiscal accountability and widespread community support cited by Federation of Gay Games


Cologne, Germany [29 September 2009] – The city of Cleveland, Ohio, USA, has been chosen by the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) to host the 2014 Gay Games.

The announcement by the FGG comes after a year-long site selection process that culminated in formal presentations by bidding cities to the FGG Membership Assembly meeting this week in Cologne, Germany, site of the 2010 Gay Games. Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and Washington, D.C., USA were the other two finalists.

“Cleveland demonstrated to the Federation of Gay Games that they understood the mission of the Gay Games and our principles of ‘Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best’™,” said Kurt Dahl (Chicago) and Emy Ritt (Paris), FGG Co-Presidents. “We were highly impressed by the facilities and infrastructure, the widespread community support, their financial plan and the city’s experience in hosting large scale sports and cultural events.”

"The City of Cleveland is prepared to roll out the welcome mat to the LGBT athletes, their families and spectators from around the world," said Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson. "Fans of the Gay Games will find that Cleveland is a great place to celebrate sports and culture and that we have tremendous assets and amenities for them to enjoy. The sports and cultural environment here is truly a uniquely Cleveland experience, one they will cherish for years to come."

“We are extremely honoured and pleased that Cleveland has been selected to host the 2014 Gay Games,” said W. Doug Anderson, spokesperson for Cleveland Synergy Foundation, the bidding organization. “It is truly a privilege to continue Dr. Tom Waddell’s legacy and vision in our city – an extremely enthusiastic sports town - where the guiding principles of personal best, inclusion and participation are held dear. We are also pleased to be considered and selected from among two of the greatest cities in the world – Boston and Washington, D.C. – and greatly appreciate the support of both cities as Cleveland hosts the Gay Games in 2014.”

The Gay Games is a quadrennial sports and cultural festival founded in 1982 by Olympic decathlete Dr. Tom Waddell. Drawing as many as 12,000 participants, more than the Olympics, Gay Games have been held in San Francisco (1982, 1986), Vancouver (1990), New York (1994), Amsterdam (1998), Sydney (2002), and Chicago (2006). The 2010 Gay Games (www.games-cologne.com) will take place in Cologne, Germany, from 31 July to 7 August 2010.

Cleveland’s 2014 Gay Games IX Sports & Cultural Festival is scheduled to take place 9 to 16 August 2014. The 8-day event will feature 30 sports, 4 cultural events, an Opening and Closing Ceremony and community and cultural events throughout the Cleveland metropolitan area. Gay Games generate $50 to $80 million in estimated local economic impact in additional to significant ongoing travel and tourism visibility benefits for the host city.

The announcement was carried live worldwide via webcast. A recording of the announcement can be viewed “on demand” at http://www.livestream.com/2014GayGames.

About The Federation of Gay Games:
The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay
Games and promotes the event's founding principles of “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best”™. For more information, visit www.gaygames.com.

“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. Trade marks are
registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, Germany and Australia.


Media Resources
• Cleveland Photos and Logo Download: http://www.gaygames.com/en/media/index.htm
• Bid Process FAQ: http://www.gaygames.com/en/media/releases/2009/FGG031709PRen.pdf
• Cleveland 2014 Website: http://www.clevelandsynergyfoundation.org/
• FGG Website: http://www.gaygames.com
• FGG Online Press Room: http://www.gaygames.com/en/media/index.htm

Interview Requests
Representatives of the FGG as well as the three bidding cities will be available for interviews.

• On Site in Germany: Kevin Boyer, FGG Spokesperson, kevin.boyer@allterrain.net, +1 (847) 436-3424 (mobile)
• On Site in Germany, Kelly Stevens, FGG Officer of Communications, kellystevensfgg@gmail.com, +1 206-295-9498
• USA Contact: Kristin Owen, Kristin.owen@allterrain.net, +1 (312) 588-3718

###

Bidder Q&A session


Representatives of the three bidding organizations from Boston, Cleveland, and Washington eached faced salvos of questions from FGG board members and delegates during a 90-minute session, the last before voting opens for the choice of the host for Gay Games IX in 2014.

Live web broadcast of host of Gay Games IX


Live webcast via Livestream.

Tuesday, 29 September
18.30 Cologne
12.30 New York
9.30 San Francisco
Wednesday, 30 September
2.00 Sydney

Monday, September 28, 2009

Civic reception and cruise on the Rhine close exciting day




After three exciting bid presentations, delegates and bidders were invited to a civic reception at the historic "Spanish Building", where they were welcomed by deputy mayor Elfi Scho-Antwerpes. The evening continued with a dinner cruise on the Rhine.

Highlights of Gay Games IX bidder presentations





The three bidding organizations for Gay Games IX made their presentation to a packed meeting room in the Wolkenburg event center. Each bidder made a 45-minute presentation which was followed by a 30-minute question-and answer session. Each bidder included representatives of their municipal government, with video messages from their mayor and/or governor.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Opening day of Federation of Gay Games 2009 Annual Meeting focuses on choice of host of Gay Games IX


Delegates, Board Members, and Volunteers from six continents began the process of choosing a host for Gay Games IX in 2014. After morning sessions devoted to procedural issues and the awards ceremony for new Honorary Life Members and Volunteers of the Year, the main meeting room at the Wolkenburg event center was filled with a rapt audience eager to hear the reports of the site inspection team who recently visited the three bidding cities of Boston, Cleveland, and Washington, DC.

Site Selection continues on Monday with the formal presentations from the three bidding organizations. All participants, including the nearly 50 members of the various bidder delegations, will be invited to a reception at the Old City Hall of Cologne, followed by a cruise on the Rhine.


The name of the host of Gay Games IX will be announced on a live webcast via Livestream.

Tuesday, 29 September
18.30 Cologne
12.30 New York
9.30 San Francisco
Wednesday, 30 September
2.00 Sydney

Hans Jablonski keynote speaker at Federation of Gay Games Annual Meeting


The 2009 Annual Meeting of the Federation of Gay Games, held in Cologne, Germany, had the honour of the presence of Hans Jablonski as the keynote speaker for the opening ceremony.

Mr. Jablonski is a diversity consultant working with major firms, and in particular with Ford Motor Company. Of particular interest to the FGG were his comments on managing LGBT staff in countries where homosexuality is illegal, and where LGBT people face severe discrimination, and even death.

Hlengiwe Buthelezi and Ian McMahon awarded Cape Town Cup as Federation of Gay Games Volunteers of the Year



Federation of Gay Games co-presidents Kurt Dahl and Emy Ritt presented the Cape Town Cup, the trophy awarded to FGG Volunteers of the Year, to two outstanding volunteers from South Africa. The presentation was part of the 27 September 2009 opening session of the Federation of Gay Games Annual Meeting in Cologne, Germany.

Hlengiwe Buthelezi from Durban is a champion in mainstream competition as well as a multi-medal winner in track and field at the Gay Games. She currently serves as a delegate from FGG member organisation TOGS, and actively promotes the Gay Games in South Africa. In addition to her sports outreach to schoolchildren in remote villages, she has brought together potential competitors for Gay Games VIII, most recently in a mainstream women's road race in Durban, where nearly forty runners competed as a warm-up and promotion for Cologne.

Ian McMahon from Cape Town is a past president and current co-chair of TOGS. Ian is a leader in business and in a variety of LGBT charitable organisations. Ian has been an active volunteer and member on the Federation since 2005, and is being honoured in particular for his outstanding work organising the FGG 2008 Annual Meeting in Cape Town, which proved to be a most rewarding opportunity for members of the FGG to make new friends and establish new relationships with athletes, artists, and activists from a number of African countries.

Bonus question: Why is the Volunteer of the Year trophy known as the Cape Town Cup?
The honour of Volunteer of the Year was first awarded 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. And it is with particular pleasure that we are able to send back -- at least for this year -- the Cape Town Cup to its place of origin to honour two South Africans, before the Cup is awarded to new volunteers at Gay Games VIII in 2010.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Federation of Gay Games participates in first A Day in Hand



Early arrivals at the Federation of Gay Games Annual Meeting mix enjoying their first koelsch with some same-sex hand-holding as part of the launch of "A Day in Hand", a movement to affirm the presence of LGBT persons around the world by simply holding hands with ones partner* on the last Saturday of each month.

More info HERE.


*Note that the persons shown in this photo may not necessarily be holding the hand of their partner.

New delegate orientation a success



First-time delegates from ESSDA, Team DC, FSGL and other member organizations at the Federation of Gay 2009 Annual Meeting orientation session, led by VP Membership Paul Oostenbrug and VP Diversity Laura Moore, with a special session on FGG technology by Officer for Technology Israel Wright.

Federation of Gay Games Annual Meeting opens with preparatory board meeting

The Federation of Gay Games 2009 Annual Meeting opens tomorrow in Cologne, Germany, host of Gay Games VIII from 31 July to 7 August 2010. To make final plans for the week's activities, the FGG Board of Directors met Saturday morning. During this session, they took time to meet with the Games Cologne steering committee, which provided impressive updates on key issues, including marketing, sports planning, and volunteer recruitment and management.

The Board as elected at the last Annual Meeting in 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa, is made up of 18 members from four continents. As such, most of its operations take place by means of email, teleconferences, and a dedicated intranet system. The Annual Meeting is thus an important opportunity for face-to-face communication and team building.

Friday, September 25, 2009

At the main train station in Cologne

Team Oregon meeting Monday 28 October

General Membership Meeting on September 28

Team Oregon 2010 will hold its first ALL MEMBERSHIP meeting on September 28, 2009.

This is a golden opportunity for members to come together to:

* Meet each other
* Make plans to start raising money and getting sponsorships
* Make plans to recruit more members
* Get answers to questions about the Gay Games, Team Oregon 2010 and other topics

For more info, visit the Team Oregon website HERE.

FGG welcomes new delegates

Federation of Gay Games officers currently in Cologne preparing for the FGG Annual Meeting await 15 new delegates coming for the first time to an annual meeting. Some are new delegates from existing members, while others represent some of the many new members who have recently joined the Federation. FGG member organisations represent athletes and artists from every continent.

Among the important duties of delegates at this Annual Meeting will be the choice of the host of Gay Games IX 2014. They will also have several sessions with Games Cologne, the host of Gay Games VIII to be held from 31 July to 7 August 2010. New delegates orientation takes place on Saturday 26 September, with the opening of the Annual Meeting and Site Selection Meeting on Sunday 27 September.

The name of the presumptive host of Gay Games IX will be announced by live webcast on Tuesday 29 September.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Gay Holidays to Germany

by Howie Holben

With LGBT communities in every large city, Germany is a well-known LGBT haven in Europe. [...]

Cologne is often referred to as Germany’s LGBT capital and is a wonderful choice as a gay travel destination. Perfectly poised on the shores of the Rhine River, Germany’s oldest large city draws eager visitors from every corner of the globe to experience this beautiful citys rich history and culture, commune with its friendly, jovial inhabitants and take part in its thriving arts and culture scene. Cologne is home to the world-renowned Cologne Cathedral, Kolsch beer and more LGBT restaurants, clubs, cafs, bars and establishments than anyone could visit in just one gay vacation.

This welcoming community has no problem with couples of all sorts showing affection in public and has a well-established, highly visible LGBT population. Cologne is proud to be the host of the 2010 Gay Games and home to more LGBT bars, clubs, restaurants, cafs and other establishments than any visitor could experience in a single gay vacation. To display how LGBT-friendly this city truly is, the KolnTourismus Service Centre even offers a Pink WelcomeCard, which provides discounts on LGBT clubs, bars, saunas and shops, as well as free public transportation and discounts for local attractions, such as river cruises, opera, theater and museums.

Continue reading HERE.

Live webcast of announcement of host of Gay Games IX


Live webcast via Livestream.

Tuesday, 29 September
18.30 Cologne
12.30 New York
9.30 San Francisco
Wednesday, 30 September
2.00 Sydney

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

One week to choice of host of Gay Games IX, 2014

In only one week, the Site Selection Meeting of the Federation of Gay Games will conclude with the election of the host of Gay Games IX in 2014.

Voting members of the FGG General Assembly will vote by secret ballot from among three finalists from Boston, Cleveland, and Washington, DC. The announcement of the result of this ballot will be made at a press conference at 18.30 CET from the Wolkenburg event center in Cologne, host of Gay Games VIII next summer.

MEDIA ALERT - Live Announcement – Press Conference
Federation of Gay Games To Announce Host of 2014 Gay Games IX on Tuesday, 29 September 2009. Boston, Cleveland, and Washington, DC are finalists for 2014 Gay Games.

Read the Media Advisory. English version >>

Gay Games Legacy Awards to be awarded at 2009 Annual Meeting: Tracy Baim and the Windy City Times

At is 2009 Annual Meeting charity dinner, the Federation of Gay Games will honor Tracy Baim, publisher and executive editor of the Windy City Times, a free LGBT weekly in Chicago, Illinois, with its second Legacy Award for Media and Journalism.

The Windy City Times provides weekly coverage of LGBT sport and culture, and has been a media partner for the Gay Games, including Gay Games VIII 2010. Baim herself has won numerous awards for LGBT and mainstream journalism and publishing, and served as vice co-chair of Chicago Games Inc., the host of the highly successful 2006 Gay Games.

Gay Games Profiles in Windy City Times

Tom Chiola and his partner of 15 years, Drew Jemilo, have one simple goal for the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany: To finish with a smile on our faces, said Chiola, president of the Alliance of Illinois Judges (www.TheAIJ.com) and the first openly gay candidate elected to office in Illinois (Circuit Court Judge, 1994) .

The residents of Andersonville (or Mandersonville, as Jemilo calls it) will be competing in the 5K and 10K road races.

"The Gay Games are a wonderful experience, a supportive environment where the most important thing is to do the best you can do. The feeling of community is so overwhelming and heartening [at the Games]. Meeting people from around the world is incredible," said Chiola, 57.

Both have Gay Games experience and medals of honor. Chiola ran the marathon and competed in bowling in Vancouver in 1990. He competed in the triathlon and in swimming events in New York City in 1994. And in Chicago in 2006, Chiola again competed in the triathlon. His bowling team won the silver medal in 1990. Jemilo competed in the triathlon in Chicago in 2006 and he jokes that he won, "The Mother Teresa Gold Medal for Cheering Others On."

"I have always made great friends through sports groups like Chicago's gay volleyball league and the Chicago Razors triathlon group," said Jemilo, 43. "I look forward to expanding that [while in Cologne] to people from around the world. "

Continue reading HERE.

Gay Games Legacy Awards to be awarded at 2009 Annual Meeting: Golden Gate Alliance Wrestling

The FGG is committed to supporting young athletes, and to youth outreach to fight homophobia. It commends the efforts of those who do this on a daily basis, and will honour Golden Gate Alliance Wrestling with its first Legacy Award for Youth Outreach and Coaching. Alliance was founded two years ago as a partnership between San Francisco's Golden Gate Wrestling Club and the city's high school wrestling programmes. The Alliance provides volunteer coaches to high schools suffering from budget cuts, and has achieved great success on a human and athletic level. This engagement with the greater community has brought rewards for the club and its members, for the city sports programmes, and for the young people involved, gay and straight.

"!DI*NN*ERSITY" charity dinner in Cologne



Dine for a good cause in Cologne


The Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 and the Maritim Hotel at the Heumarkt invite you to a very special Charity Dinner: "!DI*NN*ERSITY". On Thursday, 1 October 2009, the Maritim kitchen will be serving a fantastic 3-course menu. Guests can also look forward to Charity Bingo.

One of the Bingo-prizes is a 2-person-flight to New York with our partner-airline KLM, as well a registration packet for the Cologne Gay Games, valued at 125 Euro. Another prize features paintings of Cologne by renowned artist Gerda Laufenberg, and a Gay Games satchel with T-Shirt, cup, pin and baseball hat. "We want to get Cologne in the mood for the big event, the Cologne Gay Games, and are very excited about the energetic support from the Maritim", Annette Wachter, CEO of the Cologne Gay Games said. Maritim Marketing-Manager Michael Schüpstuhl adds: "!DI*NN*ERSITY combines culture and sports in the sense of the Cologne Gay Games: with cultural dining and a game of bingo."

The cost of the !DI*NN*ERSITY is 38 Euros. 5 Euros from each registration as well as the total Bingo proceeds go to benefit the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010.

Thursday, 01 October 2009
Start time 7.30 pm
Maritim Hotel Cologne, Glasgalerie
Heumarkt 20
D-50667 Cologne

Please e-mail your !DI*NN*ERSITY registration to dinnersity.maritim@koeln.de or give us a call: +49-221-2027891



"!Di*nn*ersity" is a cooperation-event of Maritim, Federation of Gay Games and Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010.

Press contact:
Maritim-Hotel:
Michael Schuepstuhl
mschuepstuhl.kol@maritim.de
Tel.: +49-221 2027 891


Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010
Ingo Schneider, Head of Media
Mobile: +49 – (0)177 – 762 6 068
i.schneider@games-cologne.de