Gay Games® VIII Set to Open in Germany This Saturday 31 July

2200 Americans are among 9500 participating athletes from 65 Countries



Cologne, Germany – The 8th international Gay Games® will get underway in Cologne, Germany, this Saturday with a lavish Opening Ceremony at RheinEnergie Stadium, the 40,000-seat home stadium of the city’s football club. The 2010 Gay Games will be the continent’s largest sports & cultural festival since the Gay Games were last in Amsterdam in 1998. Many of the 9500 athletes and artists, including 2200 Americans, are already enroute to Germany’s “gay capital” on the Rhine River. They will participate in 34 different sports and 5 cultural events from 31 July to 7 August when the Gay Games close. Full details are available at http://www.games-cologne.com/



Opening Ceremony

The Gay Games Opening Ceremony will feature the traditional parade of athletes and will be officially opened by openly gay German Vice Chancellor Dr. Guido Westerwelle. Performers include international pop sensation and Swedish “Idol” winner Agnes and American diva Taylor Dayne performing the brand new Gay Games anthem, “Facing a Miracle.” Information about television broadcasts and live web-streaming will be announced at www.games-cologne.com in coming days.



History

Cologne marks the 8th quadrennial Gay Games. First held in 1982 in San Francisco, the Gay Games have become one of the world’s largest sporting events, routinely drawing more athletes than the Olympics. Previous host cities have included San Francisco (1982, 1986), Vancouver (1990), New York (1994), Amsterdam (1998), Sydney (2002), and Chicago (2006). In four years, Gay Games IX will take place in Cleveland/Akron in 2014.



While the 9500 participating athletes are fewer than participated in Chicago in 2006 (11,700), the Cologne organizers are ecstatic at the numbers. “We planned for as few as 8,000 participants given the worldwide economic downturn,” said Annette Wachter, CEO of Games Cologne. “We’ve exceeded our projections and can’t wait to welcome everyone to Cologne.” The 9,500 participants do not include another almost 2,000 locals who will be participating in the half-marathon. Each Gay Games injects $50 to $80 million into the local economy with 10 years of residual tourism impact.



The Gay Games were founded by American Olympic decathlete Dr. Tom Waddell and are based upon the principles of Inclusion, Participation and Personal Best™. The Gay Games are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or ability. Many of the competitions are run similarly to international Master’s competitions with divisions established for age and gender. Team sports have divisions based upon ability allowing competitive as well as recreational athletes to participate. Cultural events are also open to all including band, chorus and cheer teams.



Statistics from the 2010 Gay Games

Countries with more than 30 participants: Germany (2955), United States (2219), United Kingdom (841), Netherlands (658), France (524), Australia (363) Switzerland (248), Canada (196), Belgium (161), Denmark (147), Italy (140), Spain (105), Austria (95), Ireland (89), Norway (62), Hungary (52), New Zealand (52), Czech Republic (52), Sweden (49), Russian Federation (49), Finland (45), South Africa (39), and Croatia (30).



Other countries with at least one participant include: Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Montenegro, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay.



Worldwide, the 10 cities with the largest number of participants include (in order) Cologne, London, Berlin, Paris, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Munich, Hamburg, New York and Chicago.



Soccer is the most popular sport 1055 participating athletes. Other top sports include Swimming (896), Volleyball (847), Tennis (617), Marathon/Half (600 + 2000 locals), Road Races/5K & 10K (545), Dancesport (512), Track & Field (455), Badminton (414) and Basketball.



Other sporting & cultural events being offered include: Band Festival, Beach Volleyball, Bodybuilding (Physique), Bowling, Bridge, Cheerleading, Chess, Choir Festival, Cycling, Diving, Field Hockey, Figure Skating, Golf, Handball, Ice Hockey, Inline Speed Skating, Martial Arts, Pool-Billiard, Powerlifting, Sailing, Softball, Sport Climbing, Sport Shooting, Squash, Synchronised Swimming, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Triathlon Team, Visual Arts, Water Polo, and Wrestling.

FORD IS OFFICIAL PARTNER OF THE GAY GAMES VIII

Cologne, July, 28 2010 – On Monday this week July, 26, 6 vehicles, provided by Ford for the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010, were handed over to the drivers. This is only one component of the official partnership between the Ford factory Cologne and the organizers of the Gay Games.

Ford overall provides 65 employees within the community-involvement-initiative to support the Games at 157 shifts. 6 vehicles are provided also, four Transits, a Focus as well as a Mondeo which will be used for transportation of athletes and volunteers. Furthermore, the parking lot at the Fuehlinger See, owned by Ford will be open to the public during the races on the lake.

At the Gay Games, taking place every 4 years, nearly 10.000 participants from over 70 nations have registered. 35 sports, 5 cultural events are on the program and numerous events and parties are on the supporting program.
According to the motto “Be part of it!” “Diversity” base of Ford, naturally everybody can participate at the Games from July, 31 till Aug, 7, no matter the sexual identity.
The Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 will be declared formally open with a spectacular show on Saturday, July, 31 2010 at the RheinEnergieStadium. Tickets from 27,50 Euro at www.games-cologne.de.

Two-Day Baby Dragon 180 Ride Roars Into Gear

We received this information this morning from the LA Gay Center. This is a wonderful opportunity to compete in Cycling and raise money for homeless gay youth. Our community sometimes forgets about those of us who aren't old enough to be seen in a bar, so this sheds light on an issue for which there should be more awareness.

Beautiful, Fully Supported Ride from L.A. to Santa Barbara and Back, Sept. 25-26,
Supports L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Life-saving Services

LOS ANGELES, July 27, 2010 –Ready to leave the city behind and enjoy a weekend ride—on a bike—through some of California’s most beautiful countryside? On Saturday, September 25 those ready for a unique and fun get-away will kick their wheels into gear as participants in the second annual Baby Dragon 180 Ride—a fully supported two-day bike ride from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and back.


Registration, limited to just 150 (experienced and novice) cyclists, is still open for the 180-mile ride that benefits several life-saving programs of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and is produced by the same team that has made the seven-day AIDS/LifeCycle (ALC) such a success. The beautiful route takes riders on a scenic journey through some of Southern California’s most picturesque beaches, rolling hills, vineyards and orange groves. All meals and accommodations are included in the cost of registration, including a night at the quaint Lemon Tree Inn in Santa Barbara.



“Even if you’ve never pedaled a bike before, I promise you the Baby Dragon 180 Ride is your chance to say YES to a challenge that can and will change your life,” says actor Chad Allen (Saved; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman). “Come coast down the California shoreline with a pack of like-minded souls dedicated to making the world a better place.”



For those who have considered riding from San Francisco to Los Angeles as participants in AIDS/LifeCycle but don’t feel quite ready for that commitment, the Baby Dragon Ride offers a great taste of the ALC experience and regular training rides help participants prepare—even those who have little or no cycling experience. And a customizable web tools make it simple for each participant to raise the $1,000 minimum that supports the Center’s Mental Health Services, Crystal Meth Recovery Services and programs for LGBT youth.

The event is named in honor of a young Center client (nicknamed “Baby Dragon”) who died two years ago. A group of his friends and family helped create the Baby Dagon Fund, which supports Center services that help LGBT youth and others receive the counseling and care they need to live fulfilling, drug-free lives.



Until July 31, participants can take advantage of a special two-for-one deal on registration by sending e-mail to info@babydragon180ride.org or calling 323-860-7374. For more information about the Baby Dragon 180 Ride, go to www.babydragon180ride.org.

We have GAY GAMES Tickets to give away!

Are you going to be in Cologne for the gay games? Want to get into all ticketed events at the Gay Games? Want be a VIP at the Opening AND Closing Ceremonies?
We have two tickets for anyone who wants them. The first person to email alfonzo@competemag.com with GAY GAMES COLOGNE 2010 in the subject line will win the tickets.

Safe and sound through the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010

The Gay Games VIII and HIV/AIDS relief organizations count on personal encounters – more than 100 honorary prevention co-workers are on active service – Herzenslust / FAIRPLAY and “I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING” are partners of the Gay Games Cologne.

The organizers of Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 provide an extensive offer for the prevention of HIV and other sexual transmittable diseases for the 10.000 participants and innumerable visitors.
“Our guest shouldn´t take home any unwanted souvenirs” Michael Lohaus accentuates. Therefore the organizers of the Gay Games named an HIV representative, who coordinates and steers the concepts and projects of the single responsible organizations.


Cooperation with HIV/AIDS – relief organizations

More than 100 honorary co-workers of the FAIRPLAY project of Herzenslust (AIDS relief NRW e.V. and Check UP/ AIDS relief Cologne e.V.) and of the “I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING” campaign of the German AIDS relief take care for guests from all over the world. Appropriate to the occasion they are dressed as referees and on the road during competitions, the opening ceremony, in the evening at the parties and in the bars.
“Of course we do distribute condoms, but that´s not all” accentuates the project leader of the FAIRPLAY team Felix Laue. “I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING” and “FAIRPLAY” stand for a responsible and passionate dealing with each other. So that you can enjoy sex without unpleasant consequences, teams offer help in estimating your own conducting towards risk. To be fair to yourself and your sex partner, this is the message.

Information and help

The German HIV/AIDS relief supports the campaign with 50.000 cruising packs (condoms and lube), produces information flyers and prevention TV spots for the Gay Games Cologne. The AIDS relief NRW e.V. provides manpower and other media for the campaigns. Involved are “Herzenslust” groups from all over NRW as well as prevention teams throughout Germany. An important part is the countrywide advice hotline 0049 (0) 180 33 19411 where trained co-workers answer the most important questions regarding HIV and AIDS. Help will be passed on in case of an acute infection with HIV is possible and an immediate PEP (morning-after) therapy might be necessary or in case visitors or participants with HIV have lost their HIV medication. “We cannot offer an all-inclusive free package, but we managed to build information- and help offer for all important areas” says Lohaus.

Solidarity with the affected

Integration and dealing in solidarity is important to the organizers of the Gay Games on all levels. “Be part of it also means that we have to set a sign towards the rights and discrimination of people with HIV in many countries of the world.” With a moment of memories during the opening ceremony commemorates the previous victims of AIDS. At the Rainbow Run and with a commemorative prayer service the AIDS relief Cologne reminds us that people affected by AIDS still need our solidarity as well as social and individual support.

At the link www.games-cologne.de/de/static/köln/gesundheit-hiv all important facts for the guest of the Gay Games are gathered. With it there is information about the general medical care in Cologne and in Germany, questions regarding insurances and the most important emergency call numbers.

More information about the campaigns and partners:
I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING – www.iwwit.de

“FAIRPLAY”/Herzenslust – www.herzenslust.de – www.checkup-koeln.de

Stay completely informed with the Gay Games-App for the iPhone

We all know the situation: You get to a foreign city and first you have to orient yourself. You wander on the streets with your paper map, ask people for directions and get lost nevertheless. Put a stop to that hassle with our free App for the iPhone. Let it show you the way to your next competition, find your way back to your accommodation and have all the important phone numbers at a glance. With the Gay Games-App we offer you all the important information: what is going on where, who is participating and what is going on online? The answers to all your questions are just a click away.
The App "GayGames2010" is NOW available as a free download in the App-Store!

Taylor Dayne sings the Gay Games Song

We LOVE it!

(copy and paste this link into your browser to hear it): http://www.games-cologne.de/en/gay-games/song)

Soul Diva Taylor Dayne will sing the official song for Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010. The American singer will perform the song “Facing a Miracle” at the opening ceremony on July 31 in the RheinEnergieStadium. Taylor Dayne became well known in the 80s, when she had an international hit with “Tell it to my heart”.

Annette Wachter, manager of the Gay Games Cologne gGmbH, is looking forward to meeting the US star: “We are enthusiastic that an international artist like Taylor Dayne is supporting the sport- and cultural event.” The song was well received from the start. Contracts have been signed with the management of the singer. Taylor Dayne is well known in the USA for her charity engagements, recorded the song, a short time ago in California.

With “Tell it to my Heart”, Taylor Dayne reached number one in the chart shows in Germany in 1987. Also her hits “Prove your love” and “I´ll will always love you” were placed in the charts. In 2008, ten years after her last publishing, she released her new album “Satisfied”. Taylor Dayne is also successful as composer. She wrote the hit “Whatever you want” for Tina Turner.

Photo: (c) Marc Cartwright Photography. Download.

The hymn of the Gay Games originates from a composer team from Sweden and the Netherlands. The song writer Peter Hägeras, Bruce R.F. Smith, Dan Sundquist and Ralph van Manen won the composer competition of the Gay Games Cologne with the song “Facing a miracle”. The Dance song which has the makings of a hit encourages all to fulfill our own dreams. That the song will be performed by an international known artist, makes Peter Hägeras happy: “Being openly gay myself, it means a lot to me to get the possibility to write and produce the song for the Gay Games, by far the biggest event this year. Even more interesting is the possibility to work with Taylor Dayne. I am still fairly young so for me it´s a fantastic feeling to work with an idol of my youth, especially as she still is delivering top performances and scored top rankings at the billboards. For me, the word “Pride” gets a complete new and important meaning.”



Multinational Quartett writes “Facing a miracle”

No big sport event makes it without a theme song. So from the beginning of the planning for the Gay Games there was the desire for a song. Thus an international composer competition began. A team of classified jurors had to select which of the submitted songs would be the official song of the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010. They chose “Facing a miracle” and therefore the composer quartett from Sweden and the Netherlands.

Dan Sundquist, Ralph van Manen, Peter Hägeras and Bruce R.F. Smith were the lucky winners. But these names are also a win for the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010. Each one of them has a high profile music background. Each of these names assures the quality of the song. Dan Sundquist for example is one of the biggest Swedish song writers and music producers. He produced more than 60 albums over the past 3 decades. He won 7 Grammys and 12 Platinum Prices in Sweden. For the Eurovision Song Contest he contributed 2 national winner titles – for Sweden and Norway.

The Dutch - Ralph van Manen and the Dutch-by-choice Bruce R.F. Smith, born in England are spoilt by success. Both are authors of great songs. With the hit “Testify to love” by Ralph van Manen the group “Avalon” reached Platinum status in the USA. From Bruce R.F. Smiths pen originates the Dutch contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005. His song “Engel van mijn hart” sung by Gerard Joling, won the first place of the Dutch charts and was honored as best song with the Buma Golden Harp Award.

The youngest of the quartet of song writers is Peter Hägeras. But the 28 year old has worked already with numerous artists. Among them Kayo, a Swedish singer, who represented her country in 2002 at the Eurovision Song Contest, with her group Afro-dite. Different casting-show superstars also had a breakthrough due to his help, among them the winner of the Belgian X-Faktor Udo Mechels. The musical talent of Peter Hägeras was discovered very early. Already at the age of 19 he won a well respected Swedish music prize. His signature mark is catchy pop songs, which can be found on his personal album, published in 2007.



From the idea to the song

Clemens Brugger is Austrian and works in Innsbruck. Besides Universal Music Publishing and Popsongs Music Publishing his music publisher CBM is a 50 % co-publisher of the title “Facing a Miracle”. Clemens was given the task to search for the right artist for the title. “There was a list of favorites put together by the team of jurors of the Gay Games Song Contest” he says. “While talking to artists and managers, I got the idea to talk to Taylor Dayne.

Taylor Dayne received the demo of the title and information about the Gay Games. The decision was quickly made, as Clemens Brugger comments. The US singer offered to record the song “Facing a Miracle” at no charge. Even Brugger worked as leading producer without a fee. His company is financing the whole production. The sales returns of the CD are donated to the Gay Games Cologne.

Due to his contacts to US music producer Peter Wolf, Clemens Brugger managed to get his studio in Malibu/California to record the vocal part. Wolf’s studio is one of the leading studios in the music industry. The Austrian is responsible for world hits of Jefferson Starship (We Built this City) and the Commodores (Nightshift). Numerous artists like Patti Labelle, Oleta Adams, Santana, and The Scorpions rely on his know-how. Emil Hellman and Peter Hägeras are producers of the song “Facing a Miracle”. In addition to the radio version there is a Club remix and an orchestra version.