Cleveland awarded 2014 gay games
WTAM reports: Cleveland, OH has been awarded the 2014 International Gay Games.
The Gay Games will have around 12,000 participants and an estimated 100,000. The 14 original contenders for host city were whittled down to three; Cleveland, Boston and Washington, DC. The winning city was announced from Cologne, Germany—the site of the 2010 games.
For many, this announcement is the grand finale after months of extensive planning, fundraising and salesmanship. The Cleveland Synergy Foundation has been working on this Federation of Gay Games (FGG) bid with the City of Cleveland and Positively Cleveland. And, in a show of regional cooperation, the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau has pledged significant dollars for marketing and support because events like the rodeo and golfing would take place in Greater Akron.
The City of Cleveland pledged $700,000 if the 2014 Gay Games comes to Northeast Ohio. In-kind donations totaling $1.3 million for police, logistical support and the use of certain facilities (like Cleveland Browns Stadium) are also part of the incentive package. Cleveland City council members voted to grant the money hoping for a boost to the City's economy of $60 million or more. Although big sporting events are not uncommon in Cleveland (like the International Children's Games in 2004, the NCAA Women's Final Four in 2007 or the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2009), there has never been a single event of this magnitude. Reports from Chicago estimate the Gay Games it held in 2006 pumped $80 million into the Midwest city’s regional economy.
The Gay Games will have around 12,000 participants and an estimated 100,000. The 14 original contenders for host city were whittled down to three; Cleveland, Boston and Washington, DC. The winning city was announced from Cologne, Germany—the site of the 2010 games.For many, this announcement is the grand finale after months of extensive planning, fundraising and salesmanship. The Cleveland Synergy Foundation has been working on this Federation of Gay Games (FGG) bid with the City of Cleveland and Positively Cleveland. And, in a show of regional cooperation, the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau has pledged significant dollars for marketing and support because events like the rodeo and golfing would take place in Greater Akron.
The City of Cleveland pledged $700,000 if the 2014 Gay Games comes to Northeast Ohio. In-kind donations totaling $1.3 million for police, logistical support and the use of certain facilities (like Cleveland Browns Stadium) are also part of the incentive package. Cleveland City council members voted to grant the money hoping for a boost to the City's economy of $60 million or more. Although big sporting events are not uncommon in Cleveland (like the International Children's Games in 2004, the NCAA Women's Final Four in 2007 or the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2009), there has never been a single event of this magnitude. Reports from Chicago estimate the Gay Games it held in 2006 pumped $80 million into the Midwest city’s regional economy.
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