Cleveland in final running for 2014 Gay Games

Posted by Laura Johnston / Plain Dealer Reporter July 12, 2009 21:13PM
Wednesday,March 18, 2009Edition: Final, Section: Metro, Page B3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In 2014, the international Gay Games will land in Boston, Washington, D.C., or Cleveland.
Fourteen cities originally expressed interest in hosting the event, which had its beginning in San Francisco in 1982 and draws about 12,000 participants.
But only three submitted detailed bids by this past weekend's deadline.
Cleveland's bid for "My Games Rock 2014" includes opening and closing ceremonies at Cleveland Browns Stadium and 34 sports -- 24 required events, including swimming, basketball, figure skating and softball, as well as nontraditional events, such as beach volleyball and, in a first for the games, rodeo -- that would take place downtown and in Akron.
"Certainly because Cleveland is smaller, it probably has less of a global reputation in general," Federation of Gay Games spokesman Kevin Boyer said.
"But I've been very impressed with the efforts of the local organization."
Leading the Cleveland effort are Brian Tavolier and W. Doug Anderson, organizers of North Coast Athletics Volleyball and past Cleveland Pride parades. They flew to South Africa in October to plug Cleveland.
"The message that's being sent out is Cleveland is a tolerant, open, viable city to come to," Anderson said.
Working with Cleveland, Anderson's group, the Cleveland Synergy Foundation, submitted a 416-page bid with letters of support from Mayor Frank Jackson, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, Gov. Ted Strickland, Sen. Sherrod Brown and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
The region stands to gain $50 million to $80 million in economic development, as well as publicity as a tourist destination, Boyer said.
Games organizers will visit Northeast Ohio this summer and choose a host city in September at the federation's annual meeting in Cologne, Germany -- host of the 2010 games.
Ken Silliman, the mayor's chief of staff, is confident Cleveland will win the honor.
After all, Cleveland hosted the NBC Gravity Games in 2002 and 2004, the International Children's Games in 2004, the NCAA Women's Final Four and the AST Dew Tour in 2007, and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January.
It will host the National Senior Games in 2013.
"Cleveland gets tremendous international goodwill, name recognition," Silliman said, "a signal across the world that we have successfully handled these events."