Out At Wrigley and the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame team up in 2014
Thu. March 6, 2014 9:51 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Tickets now available for Out at Wrigley, Sat. July 12
Chicago, IL -
Tickets are now available for 2014's Out at Wrigley, the largest annual LGBT sporting event in the country. This year's game is set for Saturday, July 12, when the Chicago Cubs take on the Atlanta Braves in their now-100-year-old ballpark.
Last year's Out at Wrigley was paired with the induction ceremony for the latest project of MTM Chicago's Bill Gubrud, the driving force behind Out at Wrigley, and Jackie Weinberg of Supergurl Images: The National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. The new organization, which seeks to recognize and preserve the history of individuals and organizations whose achievements have advanced sports and athletics for the LGBT community while also providing outreach and education to the sporting world to help make it a more welcoming and safe space for LGBT youth, inducted 26 members into its inaugural class in August 2013.
"We could not have been happier for the success of last years events -- the positive feedback we have received has been overwhelming," Gubrud told ChicagoPride.com. "My favorite part of the whole weekend was having the chance to meet the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame (NGLSHOF) inductees. They are an amazing group of people with so much history and so many stories to share."
Several of the notable inductees, including representatives for The Gay Rodeo Association, Outsports.com and more, were in attendance at last year's ceremony. These included Dave Pallone, who was fired from the MLB in the 80s for being the the first and only major sporting official who is gay, transgendered sports writer Christina Kahrl, Andrew Goldstein, the first out lacrosse player, and David Kopay, the former NFL running back who, in the 70s, became the first professional athlete to announce he was gay.
Since last year's ceremony, the fledgling group has been gearing up to make an impact in both the LGBT and sporting communities. According to Gubrud, they are "set to launch an ad campaign to raise funds to house memorabilia and plaques of the NGLSHOF inductees and show the evolution of gays in sports." The group is also launching an educational program about LGBT individuals and sports to be released to schools and park districts.
Gubrud's goal is to have these fundraising programs up and running a couple of months before this year's induction ceremony, which will once again be paired with Out at Wrigley. Together, the two events will combine to create a long, four-day-weekend of queer sports fun, starting Thursday, July 10 and ending Sunday, July 13.
"We wanted to create a weekend long celebration to promote the Hall of Fame Inductees...[because] we did not have enough time to do everything we wanted to do with the NGLSHOF inductees [last year]." Gubrud told ChicagoPride.com. "We are hoping to get a big portion of last year's inductees to join this years class in Chicago. There will be a welcoming/kickoff party on Thursday, the induction ceremony on Friday, Out at Wrigley on Saturday and a brunch on Sunday."
Per usual, tickets for Out at Wrigley are available in two tiers: 150 fans have the opportunity to purchase VIP Budweiser Patio seats, which traditionally include free food and drink and some awesome gift bags, for $130 and 250 other fans can purchase tickets in the terrace reserved section for $57. Additional event details, including the kick-offs of the annual National Anthem and Ceremonial First Pitch contests, will be posted to the event's website as they become available. Follow them, or buy your tickets today, at outatwrigley.com.
Last year's Out at Wrigley was paired with the induction ceremony for the latest project of MTM Chicago's Bill Gubrud, the driving force behind Out at Wrigley, and Jackie Weinberg of Supergurl Images: The National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. The new organization, which seeks to recognize and preserve the history of individuals and organizations whose achievements have advanced sports and athletics for the LGBT community while also providing outreach and education to the sporting world to help make it a more welcoming and safe space for LGBT youth, inducted 26 members into its inaugural class in August 2013.
"We could not have been happier for the success of last years events -- the positive feedback we have received has been overwhelming," Gubrud told ChicagoPride.com. "My favorite part of the whole weekend was having the chance to meet the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame (NGLSHOF) inductees. They are an amazing group of people with so much history and so many stories to share."
Several of the notable inductees, including representatives for The Gay Rodeo Association, Outsports.com and more, were in attendance at last year's ceremony. These included Dave Pallone, who was fired from the MLB in the 80s for being the the first and only major sporting official who is gay, transgendered sports writer Christina Kahrl, Andrew Goldstein, the first out lacrosse player, and David Kopay, the former NFL running back who, in the 70s, became the first professional athlete to announce he was gay.
Since last year's ceremony, the fledgling group has been gearing up to make an impact in both the LGBT and sporting communities. According to Gubrud, they are "set to launch an ad campaign to raise funds to house memorabilia and plaques of the NGLSHOF inductees and show the evolution of gays in sports." The group is also launching an educational program about LGBT individuals and sports to be released to schools and park districts.
Gubrud's goal is to have these fundraising programs up and running a couple of months before this year's induction ceremony, which will once again be paired with Out at Wrigley. Together, the two events will combine to create a long, four-day-weekend of queer sports fun, starting Thursday, July 10 and ending Sunday, July 13.
"We wanted to create a weekend long celebration to promote the Hall of Fame Inductees...[because] we did not have enough time to do everything we wanted to do with the NGLSHOF inductees [last year]." Gubrud told ChicagoPride.com. "We are hoping to get a big portion of last year's inductees to join this years class in Chicago. There will be a welcoming/kickoff party on Thursday, the induction ceremony on Friday, Out at Wrigley on Saturday and a brunch on Sunday."
Per usual, tickets for Out at Wrigley are available in two tiers: 150 fans have the opportunity to purchase VIP Budweiser Patio seats, which traditionally include free food and drink and some awesome gift bags, for $130 and 250 other fans can purchase tickets in the terrace reserved section for $57. Additional event details, including the kick-offs of the annual National Anthem and Ceremonial First Pitch contests, will be posted to the event's website as they become available. Follow them, or buy your tickets today, at outatwrigley.com.