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    Volume V | Issue 1


Photo credit for above images in order: Amy Moseley, Amy Moseley, Amy Moseley, Kat Fitzgerald, Beth Rooney

News from Cologne 2010: Site visit completed by the Host Relations Committee

In early 2008, the FGG met with Games Cologne to review plans for GGVIII. The discussions focused on Marketing, Sports, and Technology. The Games Cologne team is very committed and engaged in organising a world-class Gay Games VIII. Early Registration is open and the new GGVIII website will be launched soon. FGG representatives visited most of the sports venues. Going forward, FGG will work with Games Cologne to increase marketing activities worldwide and to promote the city of Cologne to the Gay Games community. With just over two years to go, GGVIII registration will officially open in July 2008. We look forward to seeing you all in Cologne at GGVIII in 2010.  BE PART OF IT!  Sign up for the Cologne Newsletter for updates in English or German.  CLICK HERE to sign up.

Many of the sports and cultural competitions will occur at the famous national Sports University of Germany, located in Cologne, enabling  participants and spectators to enjoy watching their friends take part in other events.   In addition to an Olympic-size pool, the track and field facility is brand-new.

Three new sports have been added to the programme, bringing the total num­ber of planned activities to 34 sports and four cultural events. “There were so many requests for sailing and field hockey that we decided to include them as well,” said Annette Wachter, managing director of Games Cologne. "And we had a strong demand from German groups to include Sport Shooting, which adds a sport popular in Europe, and that complements the existing programme."

The sailing regatta will be held about 45 minutes from Cologne in the Netherlands. “ Cologne has chosen a well-known venue used by our local sailing champions on the Maas Lakes near Roermond, the Netherlands – a world-renowned and highly popular area,” Wachter said. The regatta will conform to international standards, and all results will be official and accredited internationally.

The field hockey tournament, will take place at Müngersdorf Sportpark, directly adjacent to RheinEnergieStadion, the site of the Opening Ceremony. Sixteen teams will face off against one another. Sport Shooting will take place in the facilities of the St Sebastianus club, one of the oldest sports groups in the world.

We have prepared a 1 page Cologne fact sheet for you to deliver to your team mates.  CLICK HERE to download.

 


 

Cologne:  Beautiful City on the Rhine
Gay Games VIII will offer participants a chance to compete at Germany Sports University in Cologne.  You can expect sports excellence from our German hosts, and if you have never been to Cologne, you will be pleased by the beauty of this location on the Rhine.  Cologne was a former Roman city built over 2,000 years ago with many sites to visit during Gay Games.  Tours of old town will be available in many languages – both walking tours and river cruises. 

City of Gay Pride:
Cologne hosts the biggest Gay Pride in Germany, Cologne Gay Pride (formerly: Christopher Street Days Cologne). Germany is very progressive about gay rights and very welcoming to the LGBT community.  Cologne’s LGBT population boasts of over 100,000 residents. 

Passports, Hotels, and flights:
 Many participants are starting to budget and plan for 2010.   Be sure to check your passport expiration date to allow a replacement in plenty of time.  Check out the hotel prices online and you will find Cologne has plenty of hotel choices for every budget.  Compare hotels and flights around Europe – Cologne is an hour’s flight from many of the major European cities, and has direct high-speed train connections to European capitals.  Hotels, food, drinks and even taxes are much lower in Germany than in some other countries.  Cologne 2010 hosts will also arrange special hotel deals and travel deals for participants.  We will keep you updated and you can subscribe to Cologne’s newsletter at http://www.games-cologne.com.

In just over two years, Cologne, Germany will play host to athletes and performers from around the world.  An expected 12,000 participants from more than 70 countries will attend Gay Games VIII in 2010.  Preparations are well under way, and several crucial milestones have been achieved. Pre-registration has already started!   Click the red logo below to learn more.

   Be Part of It!

Help Us Promote Cologne 2010

If you are a volunteer or organiser of a sports tournament, pride festival, cultural event or LGBT benefit, we need your help in reaching potential Gay Games VIII attendees. Cologne 2010 can send you promotional materials to include in registration kits, place on registration tables, or have at a festival or benefit exhibit.  We will mail items to your group free of charge.

To request materials for your event, please send us an email to: kstevens@gaygames.org.  Include in this email:

Contact Name
Event Details (name, purpose, number of attendees)
Proposed brochure distribution (registration table, registration kit insertion)
Shipping address (must be street address – no P.O. Boxes)
Contact phone number
Contact email address
Date by which the materials must arrive.

Keep in mind that it is expensive to send things at the last minute so give us plenty of time to get you materials. Thank you for your help!

Participant Profile:  Kate Rowe, FGG VP, Female Diversity                        

Where are you originally from? London, England     

Where do you live today? Sydney, Australia

Are you from a large family?  Two brothers and one sister (deceased)

How long have you been involved with Gay Games?  Since 1994 in New York, where my life changed!

How did you hear about the Gay Games?  From a friend who told me I would love it - he was right.

What was the deciding factor to register the first time?  The thought of being with 10,000 gays and lesbians is a special experience that I did not want to miss.

What is your sport or cultural event?   I sang in an international choir in New York and cycled. More recently I competed in cycling and running, and in Chicago, in cycling and triathlon.  

On which FGG committees do you volunteer?  Sports Committee and Membership Committee, and now on the FGG board as VP of Diversity.   I am committed to having more input at all levels from the gals (and guys).

Have you participated in any events in the past year?  1. Hawaii half-Ironman - 1st in age group and qualified for World Ironman champs Hawaii, finished 6th in my age group.  2. World half-Ironman championships in Florida - 1st in age group. 3. Jamaica Marathon - 1st in age group.  4. Australian state and national sprint distance tri-athlete championships (1st in age group in both)
...now having a break!

Describe a “feel good moment” or memory from the Gay Games.  After 6 years organising cycling for Sydney 2002, walking into my hometown stadium - the best opening ceremony yet...I cried and it was worth all the blood sweat and tears!  The rainbow flag choreography in the Chicago games.  The pride march and one mile rainbow flag in New York.

What kind of work do you do in your private life?  I am executive assistant to head of medicine at a hospital.

What other interests do you have?  Reading, politics, media, and spending rare time with close friends and, of course, my darling cats.

What is your marital status?   Have been single for many years since the love of the life left, but I am happy with myself and that is the most important thing.  You never know though, even at my age!

FGG - MySpace, Facebook and Blog news


We have launched a web blog that focuses on the Gay Games, LGBT sports news and cultural information about Gay Games.  Check out the link on our home page.  Please send your stories and photos and we will include you.    We have also created MySpace and Facebook pages for Gay Games.  Each of these is designed to reach out to young people and welcome them to the Gay Games.

New Associate Member Team from South America

Welcome to new FGG Associate Member (Movmiento Deportivo De Integracion GLTB en Chile (MOVDEINCHILE).  Honorary Lifetime Member Derek Liecty assisted the newly-formed group from Chile with the process of joining the FGG.  Derek was happy to report “that this organization is a direct out-growth of the Chicago Gay Games Scholarship Program and will be the first Latin American organization member of the FGG.   Fernando Carvajal attended the Games in Chicago, which gave him the incentive to begin forming the group in Chile.”  This process spurred more work by Derek, and he translated the FGG "How to Organise a Local Gay/Lesbian Sports Group" document to Spanish.  Bravo Derek! 

Do you have translation skills or know someone who can help translate documents for the Gay Games?  Contact Kelly Stevens at kstevens@gaygames.org

We also have four new FGG Partner Program participants.  From Paris, the following three groups:  the Rainbow Symphony Orchestra, the Paris sailing club Voile et Croisière en Liberté, and GLOBE, the LGBT employee group at OECD.   From Brazil, CDG Brasil.  Paul Oostenbrug, VP of Membership has been working hard to develop new membership and partnerships.  Member organisations receive monthly updates on the work  of the Federation from Paul.  For more information, contact membership@gaygames.org.

Send us your stories and pictures!  We would love to share a profile of one of your heroes.

FGG does not sell or give away mailing lists

We are excited to announce that the Federation of Gay Games and Gay Games Cologne have retained a public relations and marketing firm for North America . All Terrain Public Relations is led by Kevin Boyer, former global head of marketing and PR for the 2006 Gay Games. All Terrain will primarily be working with media and sports leaders but you might receive information from them. Click HERE for more information.

Did you receive a newsletter in the last few months to which you did not subscribe?  We apologize and assure you that we did not authorize this use of our mailing list.  We respect your privacy.  If you receive email from sources other than the Federation of Gay Games, Games Cologne, or All Terrain, you need to request that your email address be removed from the sender’s mailing list.



CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA WELCOMES YOU TO THE 2008
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FEDERATION OF GAY GAMES

Cape Town, South Africa, has been selected to host the Federation’s 2008 annual meeting.  In selecting Cape Town to host in 2008, the Federation continues its long tradition of meeting in locations around the world to maintain strong ties within the global Gay Games sport and cultural communities.  The Assembly meetings will start the evening of Tuesday, 21 October, 2008 and will end Friday, 24 October, 2008.  Outreach and community activities in Cape Town are planned for the weekend following the meeting.  The board of directors will also meet from midday on Sunday, 19 October, 2008, and will continue through most of Saturday, 25 October, 2008.

Cape Town will mark the Federation’s fourth annual meeting in the southern hemisphere.  The Federation met twice in Sydney - in 1996 and 2000, and in Johannesburg in 2001.

“We’re pleased to return to South Africa for our annual meeting”, said Federation co-president Emy Ritt of Paris.  “Helping to raise the visibility of LGBT sport and cultural organisations is important.  There is no better way to learn from each other than by meeting with our Gay Games friends in their own part of the world”.

Many people will want to arrive early or stay late, as this is a favorite travel destination.  Flight discounts are being negotiated for meeting participants to help book flights early.  In addition, hotel discounts and hosted housing are also being arranged by the Cape Town organizing committee.  For more information, contact kstevens@gaygames.org.

Gay Games 2014 – Looking Forward – The Bidding Process Begins

The Federation of Gay Games has published its Request for Proposal document detailing the requirements for potential organisers and host cities of Gay Games IX.  The ninth edition of the Gay Games since 1982 will be held in 2014 and will include more than 30 sports and cultural events with over 12,000 participants and tens of thousands of family, friends, fans, and spectators.

Past Gay Games have brought significant economic impact to host cities, with estimates ranging from USD$60 to USD$80 million, and have enabled increased collaboration between LGBT and mainstream organisations in the fields of sport, culture, government and business.

Organisations that are interested in obtaining a copy of the Gay Games IX 2014 Request for Proposal can download the document from www.gaygames.org.  For further information about the bidding process are invited, contact the Federation’s site selection officers at:  FGGBids@gaygames.org .  Under a new policy included for the first time in this cycle, bidding organisations will be able to propose new sports as part of their program before submitting their bid.

Read the press release in the English version or version Francaise.  (Volunteers are welcome to translate to Spanish, German, Italian, and Russian).
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