Sat 12 Feb 2011 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Virginia Hopkins-Burns of Outgames receives a cheque for $66,000 from the Netherlands Ambassador Just four weeks from today one of the biggest glbt events in New Zealand's history kicks off with the start of the 2nd Asia Pacific Outgames in Wellington. The mega-event, two and a half years in the planning, will see thousands of glbt people from the Asia pacific region, as well as locals from around New Zealand, converge on the capital to take part in a huge array of sporting, cultural and human rights events. "It's gone astonishingly well in all areas," says the co-chair of the organising committee, David Hindley, of the preparations which started with a group of six people and is now being brought together by a team numbering in the hundreds. "We re-cast our budget last week," he says, "and that looks strong, registrations have poured in and although we are having a few battles with NZ Immigration to get some visas its all coming together ok." Hindley says the organisers are anticipating a wonderful event, "and we're very very excited." Some Pacific Island attendees have been assisted with their finances by a donation of $66,000 by the Netherlands government, which Hindley says is "exceedingly generous and a huge easing of the burden of travel and accommodation for many glbt folk from some of the smaller nations in our backyard."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 12th February 2011 - 7:59pm