www.TeamChicago.org

Last chance: Registration is still possible until June 21

Many Gay Games VIII sports and cultural events needed exact numbers for event planning. That is why official registration was closed on May 31. However there is still one more chance to participate in Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010.

You can now be placed on a waiting list to participate. Our sports and culture experts will check if a registration is still possible in your event. If so, we will provide late registration for you.

Please send an e-mail now to waitinglist@games-cologne.de with the following information:

- Last Name
- First name
- Date of birth
- Sport or cultural event
- If necessary, performance class or division for the event

You will be informed as soon as possible if participation at the sports or culture event of your choice is still possible and how you should proceed. If a registration is possible in your case we will charge you an additional service fee of 10 Euros for the late registration.

Photo by Amy Mosley

So open your e-mail program and register now! It is not too late. Please share this message with teammates or anyone else that still wishes to register.

Here are some additional try on opportunities. The sizes are uni-sex. Team Chicago Uniform Try On Open House” at 3500 N. Lake Shore Drive #11D, Tuesday-Friday June 1st-4th from 7-9 and ask for Paul Oostenbrug.

If you have a need to try on the various sizes of jackets, performance Tee's and Pants that are part of our official ceremonies uniform package for the Team Chicago delegation, please do so during these dates so that we can ensure your order is correctly delivered in time prior to your travel to Germany.

You can place your order online at the time of the try on or online under the Merchandise Section of this of this site. http://www.teamchicago.org/node/324

Members who have purchased a "Full Travel Package" already have the uniform package in their order. Those who have purchase air or only hotel only packages will need to pay for their uniform packages sedately.

JUST ADDED!!! TRY ON EVENT AT TOUCHE, SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2010 4-6PM
6412 North Clark, Chicago, IL 60626

Join us for 50 cent beers and afternoon BBQ while you try on your official ceremonies uniforms and place your size orders.

View Map of Touche

Team Chicago congratulates the finalists of the Tom Waddell Award in no particular order: Jessica Seaton (Los Angeles, CA) Conny Kempe Schaelicke (Berlin, Germany), Sara Lowenstein (Oakland, CA), Brent Nicholson Earl (New York), Brent Minor (Washington D.C.), Gene Dermody (San Francisco, CA).

These individuals all have made great achievements in LGBT Communities and LGBT Sports alike. Read about their achievements at http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com/

The Tom Waddell Award is named after the found of the Gay Games Movement, Dr. Tom Waddell who was an Olympic Decathele and is the highest level of award and recognition that can be given to someone by the Federation of Gay Games. Additional information about Dr. Tom Waddell can be found at http://www.gaygames.com/index.php?id=199. Additional information about the Tom Waddell Award can be found at http://www.gaygames.com/index.php?id=43

Team Chicago looks forward to finding out who will be the the one male and one female recipient of the Tom Waddell Award Trophy at the upcoming Gay Games VIII July 31-August 7, 2010 in Cologne, Germany.

Team Chicago! Leading the Delegation to International Games!

Imagine: You're sitting with thousand of people in a soccer stadium. It gets quiet. All are eagerly waiting what's going to happen. Then the entrance of the participants of the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 begins. Led by the traditional Rainbow Flag the 10,000 sportsmen and women enter the stadium. Yes, you are part of it, you are in the RheinEnergieStadium in Cologne.

With 34,000 spectators, the opening ceremony will be the biggest and most important event at the Gay Games VIII.

The Rainbow Flag, which traditionally leads the entry of the participants, started its journey to Cologne at the beginning of this year, visiting host cities of the past Gay Games, including Chicago, the city which hosted Gay Games VII in 2006. 70 country groups follow the flag. The participants of the 35 sports and 5 cultural events will be the center of attention as they are welcomed by the 34,000 spectators. For one week they are going to achieve their personal best in sports events and cultural performances that are the heart of the Gay Games.

You should not miss this colorful picture that will release many emotions. After the procession of participants, you can enjoy the exciting program of music, dance, and acrobatics. It will remain a big secret until the last minute which artists are going to perform. But we can promise you now that it will be a huge party.

The Gay Games will also make a political statement regarding equal rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people. Vice-Chancellor and Secretary of State of Germany Dr Guido Westerwelle, who is openly gay, has taken over the patronage of the Gay Games VIII and will give a speech at the opening ceremony.

After the official opening ceremony the party continues! The After-Show-Party starts at 22:00 (31.07.2010) in the LanxessArena, presented by the colour-team. To participate in the after-show-party, you need a separate ticket! The tickets for the official opening ceremony at the RheinEnergieStadion are NOT valid for the after-show-party in the LanxessArena!

Tickets can be obtained from now on at the website of the Gay Games VIII.
www.games-cologne.com.

More than 6500 registrations already received

Participants are coming from more than 70 countries to Cologne. The Rhein Energie Stadium is the venue for the spectacular opening ceremony. The central venues during the games are the villages in the city centre on Neumarkt and Rudolfplatz.

In 100 days the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 will commence. The German foreign minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle (FDP) will officially open the largest sporting and cultural event in the world in the Rhein Energie Stadium on July 31st. Dr. Westerwelle has taken over the role of patron of the Cologne Gay Games. More than 6500 sportsmen and women from more than 70 countries have already registered for the sporting meet and cultural events. As a comparison: at the start of the year, around 2500 athletes participated in the winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

The deadline for registration for the Cologne Gay Games is the 31st May. A delegation of the Cologne Gay Games has recently returned from a promotion tour through the USA. The Gay Games will mobilise the whole city of Cologne from 31st July to the 7th August. “Gay Games Villages” will be located at Neumarkt and Rudolfplatz public squares. These are the special meeting points for the participants. A diverse program will be offered on numerous stages. More than 2000 people will be participating in the band festival, choral festival and cheer leading. Budding performers have until the end of April to apply to participate in the “Visual Arts” exhibition. Here, movement is also the major theme. Directly after the opening ceremony in the Rhein Energie Stadium, the Lanxess-Arena in Cologne-Deutz will play host to the opening party. Tickets sales have already begun.

The preparations for the Cologne Gay Games are running at full speed. In order to ensure the smooth running of the numerous cultural events and sporting meets, 3000 volunteers are required. Volunteers can register on the Cologne Gay Games home page. At the same time, a billet service has been arranged. Here, participants not wanting to overnight in hotels will be able to find suitable accommodation.

100 Tage vor den VIII. Gay Games Cologne 2010

Schon mehr als 6500 Anmeldungen

Die Teilnehmer kommen aus mehr als 70 Nationen nach Köln. Im RheinEnergieStadion werden sie eine feierliche Eröffnung der VIII. Gay Games Cologne 2010 erleben. Zentrale Anlaufpunkte während der Spiele sind die Villages mitten im Stadtzentrum auf Neumarkt und Rudolfplatz.

In 100 Tagen beginnen die VIII. Gay Games Cologne 2010 . Bundesaußenminister Dr. Guido Westerwelle (FDP) wird die größte Sport- und Kulturveranstaltung der Welt am 31. Juli feierlich im RheinEnergieStadion eröffnen. Westerwelle hat die Schirmherrschaft der Kölner Gay Games übernommen. Mehr als 6500 Sportler aus mehr als 70 Nationen haben sich bereits für die Sportwettkämpfe und Kulturveranstaltungen angemeldet. Zum Vergleich: An den Olympischen Winterspielen in Vancouver haben Anfang des Jahres rund 2500 Athleten teilgenommen.

Die Anmeldefrist für die Kölner Gay Games endet am 31. Mai. Gerade erst ist eine Delegation der Kölner Gay Games von einer Promotion-Tour durch die USA zurückgekehrt. Die Stadt Köln soll vom 31. Juli bis zum 7. August ganz im Zeichen der Gay Games stehen. Auf Neumarkt und Rudolfplatz entstehen die so genannten „Villages“. Diese sind Treffpunkt und Begegnungsstätte für die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer. Auf mehreren Bühnen wird ein abwechslungsreiches Programm geboten. Mehr als 2000 Menschen werden sich am Bandfestival, Chorfestival und Cheerleading beteiligen. Noch bis Ende April können sich Künstlerinnen und Künstler mit ihren Werken für die Teilnahme an der Ausstellung „Visual Arts“ bewerben. Auch hier ist die Bewegung das übergeordnete Thema. Unmittelbar nach der Eröffnungsfeier im Stadion steigt in der Lanxess-Arena in Deutz die große Eröffnungsparty. Der Kartenverkauf hierfür hat bereits begonnen.

Die Vorbereitungen der Kölner Gay Games laufen derzeit auf Hochtouren. Um für einen reibungslosen Ablauf der vielen Veranstaltungen und Wettkämpfe zu sorgen, werden rund 3000 freiwillige Helfer benötigt. Die Volunteers können sich auf der Homepage der Kölner Gay Games registrieren lassen. Zudem ist gerade eine Schlafplatz-Börse eingerichtet worden. Hier sollen Teilnehmer eine Unterkunft finden, die nicht im Hotel übernachten wollen.