PHOTO: BECKERMEDIA
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The Federation of Gay Games Changing the World for 32 years
The Tom Waddell Award
This year, the Federation's highest honor, named in memory of the founder of the Gay Games, is presented to two pioneers in LGBT sport
The
Tom Waddell Award being presented at Gay Games VII to Derek Liecty (left) and Lydia La Rivière Zijdel (seated) by Gay Games Ambassador Greg Louganis
THE TOM WADDELL AWARD was first awarded at Gay Games III. Every four years it recognizes one man and one woman for their outstanding contributions to the international Gay Games movement and the FGG's mission: equality in sport and culture, equality through sport and culture.
Past winners: Paul Mart (1990)-Rikki Streicher (1994)-Ruth Gursky (1998)-Stuart Borrie and Susan Kennedy (2002)-Lydia La Rivière Zijdel/Derek Liecty (2006) -Sara Lewinstein and Brent Nicholson Earle (2010)
Gene Dermody (USA): The Opening Ceremony of Gay GamesIin 1982 changed Gene's life, and he has spent every day since then paying forward the gift
of Dr. Tom Waddell.
Gene has served the Federation of Gay Games in a variety of capacities, including sports officer, technology officer, and president, often at the most trying times in the FGG's history.
He has been a key leader in many organizations, including the Golden Gate Wrestling Club, Wrestlers WithOut Borders, and Team San Francisco. In these organizations and in the FGG, he has given selflessly of his time, energy, expertise, at times at a personal and financial cost, always with the goal of sharing the precious tool for personal discovery and empowerment that are the Gay Games.
About his experience at the Opening Ceremony in 1982, Gene said: "I had finally come 'home' after a very long exile." For 32 years, Gene has welcomed men and women the world over to their "home" as part of the Gay Games family
2014 Annual Awards
EACH YEAR THE FGG,
an all-volunteer organization, recognizes those who have made particular contributions
Volunteer of the Year
This year, we honor Kena Ravel and Bradley Erickson.
Kena Ravel is a talented graphic artist. With the FGG's growing need to communicate more widely, more often, and more effectively, we have been fortunate to work with Kena, whose contributions included the stylish visuals for our scholarship fundraising campaigns.
Bradley Erickson is a pioneer of LGBT figure skating, bringing this sport to the Gay Games, and continuing to work on the sports committee. There are dozens of volunteer sports coordinators like Bradley who update rulebooks, recommend venues, provide continuity of contact with governing bodies, and work to help Gay Games hosts provide the best possible sporting experience every four years.
The FGG also honors volunteers from our host committee. For Gay Games 9, we recognize the particular contributions of two members of their board, Cynthia Christman and Jay DeFinis.
Cindy Christman has been a tireless volunteer for the Akron/Summit Task Force, and a member of the executive committee with a focus on all security-related issues, while Jay DeFinis chaired the highly successful GG9 development committee, the most successful of its type ever.
Legacy Awards
Each year the FGG presents awards to outstanding individuals and groups who embody the Gay Games values of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal BestTM Outstanding Gay Games Athlete: Jean-Pierre Grasland (France) has competed in every Gay Games in running and track and field. He has earned countless LGBT and mainstream medals and is an energetic evangelist for LGBT sport. He has engaged dozens of athletes, leading several French delegations to Gay Games and other events.
Donna Rose (USA) is a living example of the true values of sport for all. After transitioning, she returned to competition with San Francisco's Golden Gate Wrestling Club at the 2006 Gay Games, which inspired her to compete in the 2010 USA Women's National Freestyle Wrestling Championships (in Cleveland), the first trans woman to compete. Outstanding Gay Games Cultural Participant:
Erin Frawley (USA) has been a member
of Team Band at many Gay Games. She
is a talented percussionist who each year marches and plays at Pride and other events in Boston and beyond. Beyond the fields and the stage, Erin has served on multiple occasions as the FGG delegate from the Lesbian and Gay Band Association.
Elvina Yuvakaeva (Russia): On discovering LGBT sport at the 2011 Eurogames, Elvina saw the power of sport to change lives: Earlier this year she chaired the Russian Open Games, the country's first international LGBT multisport tournament. Held in Moscow between the Olympics and Paralympics, the Games showed international solidarity with Russian LGBTs and used sport to fight rising homophobic repression. Facing constant attacks from government authorities, including venue cancellations, bomb scares, and even a smoke bomb attack, Elvina and her team responded with calm energy, dignity. and restraint, and saw the Open Games through to the end.
Now, 32 years after Gay Games I, in a world in which we see increasing equality and tolerance in some countries accompa nied by rising violence and homophobia in others, Elvina exemplifies the spirit of Tom Waddell. Like the Gay Games, the Russian Open Games are "games that change the world".
Sanford Smith (USA) has been involved in not only cheer as a leader of CHEER SF, but also as a singer in the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Participating in the Gay Games since 2002, he led the efforts for greater visibility for cheer at the Gay Games, including the first public exhibition 2006 and the first competition in 2010 (Cologne).
Outstanding Official:
Jon Baldan (Australia) has regularly served as a basketball referee (LGBT and mainstream), and at many editions of the Gay Games, starting at Gay Games V. Jon has served the FGG board as technology officer and VP of operations..
Kimberly Hadley (Canada/Mexico) is the female co-president of the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association, continuing to referee in mainstream and LGBT matches in rural Canada and in Mexico. She served with distinction as a football official at Gay Games VIII.
We also thank for their extraordinary contributions the other finalists for the Tom Waddell Award:
Lou Englefield (UK): Former co-president of the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation, coordinator of Pride House 2012 in London.
Gert McMullen (USA): A tireless contributor through the NAMES Project to the message of compassion of the AIDS Quilt, and the creator of the Gay Games memorial quilt square.
Barry Webb (Australia): the "founding father of gay sport in Sydney," he created and guided clubs in New South Wales as well as FGG member Team Sydney. Konstantin Yablotskiy (Russia): Founder of the Russian LGBT Sports Federation, and a tireless advocate for equality in sport and against homophobic repression in Russia, in the true spirit of the Gay Games.
gaygames.org
facebook.com/federationofgaygames
@gaygames
Legacy Award for Fundraising:
To enable participation at the Gay Games by those without means, the FGG has introduced a formal scholarship program in 2006. Scholarships are only possible with funding, and thanks to Raymond Donald Hong and Laura Moore, there are dozens of men and women here in Cleveland+Akron who would otherwise not have been able to join us. Laura introduced the FGG's first crowdfunding campaign, which raised thousands of dollars. The accompanying video messages were produced by Raymond Hong. Please support Gay Games scholarships at bit.ly/fgg-scholarships.
Gay Games Pioneer Legacy Award: Mauro Bordovsky has medaled at every Gay Games and has broken numerous swimming records there and elsewhere. He co-founded West Hollywood Aquatics, the USA's first LGBT Masters swim club, and has brought many teammates to the Gay Games.
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