Gymnast Matthew Cusick in shadow at the Gay Games VII Opening Ceremony July 15, 2006 at Soldier Field.
Photo by Amy Moseley. Dick Uyvari pins members of the Chosen Few soccer team at the July 15, 2006 scholarship meeting for Gay Games VII. Photo by Beckermedia.com___________
Gay Games VII, held last July here in Chicago, did what hadn't been done in 20 years: it broke even financially.
Chicago Games, Inc., ( CGI ) the host organization for the event, announced last week that it has completed its post-Games fundraising and wind-down process and that the 2006 Games broke even, ending a long trend of financial woes in each of the past four Games.
Not since Gay Games II in 1986 had a Games been a stable financial operation at the event's close down.
And Chicago's feat is even more amazing given the fact that CGI had two fewer years' planning time than most Gay Games, it endured a first-ever gay sporting battle with Montreal and also encountered weather woes ( with temperatures of at least 95 degrees, coupled with humidity ) during the first few days of Gay Games VII.
'We are extremely grateful to our many donors, sponsors, volunteers, partners and vendors whose commitment and contributions made [ the break-even ] announcement possible,' said Tracy Baim, CGI board Co-Vice Chair and leader of the wind-down efforts, in a press release. 'Each deserves the appreciation of our city and the worldwide LGBT sports community.
'We always knew that it was going to take many months to close down the Games. Our budget included post-Games staffing and post-Games residual marketing, which included the DVD ( sale ) and the photo project.'
Still, though, there was a near-three percent shortfall in their expense-to-income ratio, Baim said, due to the heat wave and other additional expenses. Thus, over the past year, CGI has done additional fundraising and additional negotiations with its vendors.
They bartered with select vendors to come down on invoices, she said.
'Our vendors and our donors came together in a spirit of cooperation to make it happen,' Baim said.
CGI did post-Games marketing and liquidation of physical items, such as computers, sports and office equipment and supplies to break even. There were also branded merchandise items to sell, from t-shirts to street banners and other souvenir items that raised tens of thousands of dollars after the event.
'I think it's a huge accomplishment, but it was only achieved because of the partners we have. Our vendors cooperated to barter for supplies, and to discount additional services,' Baim said. 'I think the accomplishment is great for the entire team, and also for the city of Chicago.'
'We also extend a special thanks to the international Federation of Gay Games for their significant assistance in ensuring that the 2006 Gay Games finished in a financially sound position,' said Kevin Boyer, CGI Board Co-Vice Chair, in a press release.
The biggest local donors were partners Dick Uyvari and Joe La Pat, Chicagoans who significantly funded the Games international scholarship program and created a Gay Games $100,000 matching grant program to assist in the post-Games fundraising.
'Joe and I did what we could do to help get to that final, break-even point,' said Uyvari, a longtime Games supporter who has competed in six of the seven Games ( in bowling ) . 'Why'd we do it? Because we could, so why not help out. Why not have it go for a good purpose.
'I think the people running [ the Games ] were the heroes; they're the ones who got us as close as they did ( to breaking even ) . We just helped out in the home stretch, to give us that last push, to get over that final hurdle.'
Said Baim: 'What Dick and Joe did not only was phenomenal for themselves as individuals, but the way they did it was inspiring to other donors.'
Other key post-Games donors included Fred Eychaner, Michael Leppen and former U.S. Ambassador James Hormel and his partner, Tim Wu.
'In 2003, when we launched the bid to host the 2006 Gay Games, we promised our local LGBT community, the City of Chicago, and the worldwide LGBT sports movement that the 2006 Gay Games would break even financially,' said Sam Coady, CGI Co-Chair, in a prepared statement. 'We also made the commitment to leave a lasting and positive legacy for future Gay Games hosts—a sound business model upon which future Gay Games could be built. We are proud today to have fulfilled those promises.'
The FGG will continue to receive royalties from the 2006 Gay Games DVD, photography-based products and residual commemorative merchandise sales.
More than 100 individuals, vendors and partners added their support through cash and in-kind donations and expense reductions. The law firm of Sidley Austin extended its pro bono service, assisting CGI as it wound down operations and finances, as did the design firm of McKnight, Kurland and Baccelli.
The Chicago Games received stiff competition from a similar gay sporting event in Montreal that started one week after the Games ended. The Montreal event ultimately lost several million dollars.
The 2006 Games contributed $50 to $80 million to the local economy, with some estimating that another 10 years of positive LGBT tourism visibility will generate millions more dollars in the long term, according to a CGI press release.
'We promised our community in Chicago that our Gay Games fundraising campaign would not undercut other important community projects, including the Center on Halsted,' said Suzanne Arnold, Board Co-Chair, in a statement. 'Three-and-one-half-years later, our beautiful new community center is open and Chicago's LGBT community is stronger than ever. Our local LGBT sports organizations are the strongest they've ever been, offering more sports to more people than ever before.'
Gay Games VIII will be held in 2010 in Cologne, Germany.
'We give Cologne an even more important legacy—a Gay Games movement that is stronger and more vibrant,' Baim said. 'I think we really put Chicago on the international map as a great gay city, one of the leading gay cities in the world.'
Gay Games VII Co-Vice Chair Tracy Baim is Publisher of Windy City Media Group and Windy City Times.
