The New Zealand AIDS Foundation has confirmed its continuing support for New Zealand's biggest glbt event, despite what it describes as "difficult financial times" and "a small financial loss" made by the 2009 event. Fun in the sun: The Big Gay Out will return next year Alerted to a likely financial shortfall for February's Big Gay Out picnic and entertainment day in Auckland, underwritten by the NZAF, the Foundation took over the last six weeks of its organisation, saving on the resultant reduced fee of the event management company who had done most of the preparation work. At the time of taking over the event the NZAF was sure it could present the Big Gay Out 2009 without a loss. It has not quantified the loss. "We took over project management of the Big Gay Out 2009 with just six weeks to go and with the economic downturn we felt a lot of pressure to make sure the day was a success. We did make a small loss but it was significantly less than was forecast in December, and was small enough that the Big Gay Out remains secure for 2010," says says NZAF Director HIV Prevention and Communications, Simon Harger-Forde. The projected loss revealed in December was primarily caused by reduced sponsorship attracted by the event, attributed to the worsening global and national financial climate. "The NZAF had a lot of support; we had amazing volunteers, including the performers, who were very generous with their time and talent; and the efforts of all the different businesses that went out of their way to help us were incredible," says Simon Harger-Forde. The Foundation says it was helped in the running of the Big Gay Out by many people and organisations form Auckland's glbt community. It has paid particular tribute to Family, Urge and Caluzzi which operated licensed tents for the day. "[Family] donated $2,500 to the NZAF," says Harger-Forde. "This donation will be used to offset the costs of staging the event along with the proceeds from the stalls area, $7,000 from gold coin bucket donations and $3,130 from the beer garden." The beer garden was organised by the owners of Urge and Caluzzi. The NZAF has underwritten the Big Gay Out for several years as part of its mandate to "build supportive and safe social environments for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, takatāpui and transgendered communities, to reach a large audience with HIV prevention and health promotion messages, and to engage with the communities [we] serve." Urge Bar has also recently handed the NZAF $1,250, money raised at their 'Sauna Sessions' with DJ Seymour Butz.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 9th March 2009 - 10:40am