Team Rehoboth Beach Gears Up for 2014 Gay Games
We all know the high from watching our country’s athletes march onto the scene during opening ceremonies for the Olympics. But imagine the even greater thrill of being a part of Team Rehoboth Beach at the Gay Games 2014 in Cleveland.
Rehoboth Beach resident Bill McManus, a board member for the Federation of Gay Games has a message for local athletes and businesses—get on board! He’s hoping to give our local merchants the opportunity to raise their profile and get lots of promotion by donating to the Team Rehoboth Beach effort.
That way, more athletes will be able to go to Cleveland and represent Rehoboth Beach, its LGBT athletes, and our thriving business community.
“In 2006, when I went to the Games in Chicago, it changed my life,” Bill says. He went as part of a cycling team, marched onto Soldier Field with all the other athletes holding glo-sticks and created a massive, glorious rainbow flag across the field. “From that moment on, I knew I had to stay involved,” he says.
That involvement has taken him to meetings in Cape Town, South Africa, Cologne, Germany, as well as a recent board meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria. “We’re reaching out to the Eastern Bloc, including Russia, which as you know has been increasingly hostile to gays. Maybe this effort can help.” Bill says.
Back in 2006, a whole contingent of golfers from CAMP’s women’s golf league joined the event as well. Team Rehoboth is hoping there will be a large group going again for that sport. The golf events are planned to be at Firestone Golf Course in Akron, the number two course in popularity after Pebble Beach in California. Athletes participating in golf at the Games will have the opportunity to play that course.
Coming up at the 2014 event, there promises to be more athletes, more sports represented, and an increasing number of other events. The Gay Games will include bands, orchestras, and choruses, entertaining and in competition. (It is not the first time, there have been culture events since GGI in 1982)
The current Team Rehoboth members include Team Captain and former bowler, Jim Nolan, Rich Williams (tennis), Guy Abernathey (former bowler), and a quartet of other bowlers, David Nelson, Bill McManus, Barry Adkins, and Bruce Robertson, and runner Glenn Parr.
The Gay Games have been inspiring LGBT athletes for 30 years now as the quadrennial Gay Games have helped to empower tens of thousands of LGBT athletes through fellowship and friendly competition.
“The Federation of Gay Games ensures that the Gay Games, the largest sports and culture festival in the world, open to all, take place every four years under the founding principles of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best™.”
Which simply put means that anyone who wants to compete is welcome regardless or their sex, religion, sexual preference, race, political affiliation or athletic ability.
Interested in sponsoring an athlete and getting some great publicity? Email Bill or call him at (302) 841-0081.