Fourteen cities were up for consideration, but only three cities remain. The hosting city for the 2014 Gay Games will come down to Washington D.C., Boston and Cleveland.
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.
Due to the size of the city, Cleveland is already at a small disadvantage to host the 2014 games. However, the efforts of local organizations have impressed decision makers to this point. Trips to South Africa were made by organization heads in order to promote the city.
The basis for all of this work obviously comes down to the revenue that the city would gain, currently estimated at $50-$80 million in economic development – something that Cleveland desperately needs. The city has long been looking for events to use Cleveland Browns Stadium since it opened in 1999. This obviously doesn’t make up for the inability to host a Super Bowl thanks to lack of top-flight hotels, but given the state of the economy in Cleveland, Ohio, anything helps.
–
(Editor’s Note: Please adhere to commenting guidelines. Any deviation will not be tolerated.)
Pingback: Cleveland Selected to Host 2014 Gay Games | WaitingForNextYear