|
Part three of three in Spangle's series on Cleveland's Gay Games bid. Kelly Stevens, a board member in charge of communications for the Federation of Gay Games, says Cleveland has a “great chance” to be selected as the host of the 2014 event.
Phew.
He sees among the city’s assets: its relative bargain and location as compared to competitors Boston, Miami and Washington, D.C. (Because many Gay Games athletes come from the United States, Cleveland is geographically closer to more of the country than the other three.)
But what about the issue of the other three cities being considered likelier destinations for queer travelers?
“If we only choose the gayest cities in the United States, we’ve made a mistake,” Stevens says. He cites the federation’s choice for its 2008 annual meeting: Cape Town, South Africa, a place he calls gay-friendly, “Yet it is a place where lesbians, especially black lesbians, are routinely raped in an effort to make them heterosexual.”
Also a positive for the Cleveland bid: Its community-started organization.
“Historically, I think that the Games smile upon, or look on in a better light, when they see it coming from the LGBT community,” rather than a convention and visitors bureau, Stevens says. “… People really like to see that the LGBT community has embraced this because they see they’re committed, and it’s not just about the dollars.”
Still, he acknowledges the value of having on board a convention and visitors bureau for marketing and organizing purposes.
Not to mention fundraising. Stevens said the budget for the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago exceeded $10 million, some of which came from in-kind donations. (For instance, the city offered Wrigley Field for the opening ceremonies — for free.)
Just $2 million to $3 million is raised from participant fees, he says. For the upcoming 2010 Cologne Gay Games, participants will pay 100 euros (about $138) to enter, plus 40 euros ($55) per sport.
And the bid process is expensive by itself. (The Cleveland Synergy Organization hopes to raise $250,000 before the selection occurs in October.) Stevens says it’s likely one of the four bidding cities will drop out before a possible July short-listing because of a lack of city support or finances.
The federation leaves fundraising as the responsibility of the bidding organization, although it is assisting Cologne with marketing and sponsorship, Stevens says.
“It’s not our primary function,” he explains. “It’s actually our function to shepherd [the process] and get the next city ready.”
The total costs for the bid are around $10,000, Stevens says. But those costs can blow up, depending on the level of presentation — video, for instance, which Cleveland plans to use.
But the how of the presentation is less important than the what, Stevens says. “It’s really more the facilities, the finances and the organization — that’s really important — and the community support.”
* * *
 Stevens isn’t just a board member — he offers the perspective of a participant.
His own involvement with the Federation of Gay Games grew from his interest in running. Originally from the Detroit area, he was a member of FrontRunners, an LGBT running/walking organization. When he and his partner moved to Seattle, he immediately took up with the local running group there — eventually joining the board, and then becoming co-chair of Team Seattle, an umbrella organization for LGBT sports in the area. In 2007, he joined the Gay Games board.
Chicago’s 2006 Gay Games were Stevens’ first; he followed them by attending the Out Games (a competing event to the Gay Games) in Montreal. He calls the 18 days “gay overload.” Watching thousands of LGBT athletes smiling and walking around, identified by their credentials, was “just wonderful.”
Before Chicago, Stevens said he stopped drinking beer and eating all sweets. His thinking: “I’m going to really see what I can do with myself, and I actually did.” That training resulted in a silver medal in the 5,000-meter event. (He also dropped 14 pounds, until he was as thin as he was at age 18 — he’s 43 now.)
But he wants potential participants not to be intimidated.
“You will see fat people running, you will see fat people in ice skating,” he says. “In every sport you will see fat people, thin people, young people, old people.”
Because the Games separate competition by age group, “the older you get, the more likely you are to get a medal.”
Stevens tells the story of a man, 75 or 80 years old, competing in Chicago in the 100-meter sprint event. He was the only person in his age group, so he lined up at the starting point by himself.
The entire crowd grew silent, Stevens says, watching this elderly man go all out as he ran the 100 meters. When he crossed the finish line, the whole facility erupted in a raucous cheer.
And despite being the only one competing, he was awarded his gold medal. In 2014, if the Cleveland Synergy Foundation organizers have their way, that’s just the kind of touching moment they hope Northeast Ohioans will get to witness.
To learn more about the foundation and its bid, visit www.clevelandsynergyfoundation.org. Previously, Part One: The Vision. Part Two: The Coalition.
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
