The Cleveland Synergy Foundation, the organisation chosen to host the 2014 Gay Games, held a practice run for the international sporting event with a three-day multiple sport festival, last month.
SynergyFest, held from 23-25 April in northeast Ohio, United States, saw a range of sports represented including volleyball, tennis, billiards and flag football.
Cleveland Synergy Foundation board president, Mike Readinger, said that even though locals have the know-how to run big national events, he believed it was always helpful to be able to work out the kinks in advance.
He told the Gay People’s Chronicle: “Essentially, what we were trying to do was rehearsing for the Gay Games. SynergyFest was created with the intent that we would be able to do these multiple-sports festivals, so when we get to the Gay Games, we’re not doing it for the first time.”
More than 600 people took part in SynergyFest but organisers anticipate that the 2014 Gay Games will attract well over 10,000 people, with 34 sporting events and five major cultural events on offer.
“This year we started smaller and we’re going to build it every year as we go forward,” Readinger added.
SynergyFest will return to the city next year from 19 – 21 August with an increased number of sports on offer including swimming, darts, rugby, football, racquetball and squash.
For more information or to sign up see: synergyfest.org.