Cleveland: Gay Games planning ramps up

CLEVELAND -- A delegation involved in planning for the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland is headed to Cologne, Germany to watch the 2010 games about to unfold there.

The delegation includes representatives from City Hall, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Positively Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Akron-Summit Convention and Visitors' Bureau and Equalsurance.

Mayor Frank Jackson said, "The Gay Games in 2014 will shine a national and Internatonal spotlight on the City of Cleveland."

The Sports Commission's President David Gilbert said, "The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is excited about the Gay Games being held in Cleveland and Akron and is committed to utilitizing its expertise and resources to assure the CGIX is the best in history."

The Cologne Gay Games start Friday (July 30) and will end on Saturday, Aug. 8. The torch will be extinguished at the CLosing Ceremony and the Gay Games Flag will be passed to the Cleveland delegation.

Equalsurance is a local business that chose to attend the games with the delegation at its own expense. They are thinking of becoming a sponsor of the 2014 games here.

There are reportedly unresolved issues between the Federation of the Gay Games and the company that is helping produce the Cleveland and Akron event.

But those issues have no been spelled out.

Cleveland plans to remain the host city, expecting thousands of visitors from around the world.

The city suspended future payments to the Synergy Foundation until the issues are resolved.