SafeGames 2010 Begins

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeGames 2010 (www.safegames2010.com), a consortium of local, national, and international harm-reduction and advocacy organizations under the leadership of Keeping The Door Open Society, is working to ensure that Vancouver residents and international visitors celebrate safely during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

SafeGames will provide a wide array of resources to help keep the Olympic community safe and protected, including tips on safe sex and practical information on reducing the harms connected with drug and alcohol use.

Gillian Maxwell, SafeGames Project Director, believes the project will highlight Vancouver's leadership role in public health and drug policy. "Vancouver is a community that respects its citizens for who they are. Over the last decade Vancouver has paved the way for the some of its most marginalised community members, including people who use drugs, are in the sex trade, are living with HIV/AIDS, and those with mental health issues and other concerns, to be treated with respect and dignity."

Luciano Colonna, SafeGames Project founder, said the Vancouver partnership of 35 local organizations is prepared for the 500,000 Olympic visitors. "Our partners – from HIM (www.checkhimout.ca ), which works to strengthen the health of gay men; to the (www.SafeVibe.com)  campaign of Women Against Violence Against Women; to Insite (http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca ), North America's only legal supervised injection site – will be working overtime to respond to the harm reduction needs of those coming here for the Games."

SafeGames' teams of 200-plus outreach workers and Superheroes (including Captain Condom and Methadone Man) will distribute SafeKits containing condoms, lube, hand heaters, glow sticks, and DVDs, as well as informational cards and referrals to local service providers and resources in and around Vancouver.  In addition, the SafeGames' website www.safegames2010.com will provide a wide range of local resources and contacts to help inform and connect visitors with various harm reduction services available during the Olympics, informational videos and handouts, and information on SafeGames' consortium members.

*SafeGames 2010 Press Conference: Official Launch

    
    
    When:   Wednesday, February 10th, 2010  @  10:00am – 11.40 am
            
    Where:  Library Square Conference Centre | 350 West Georgia Street |
            Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1 Alma VanDusen Room, Lower Level
    
    Who:    GILLIAN MAXWELL, Project Director – SafeGames, Keeping the
            Door Open Society
            INSPECTOR SCOTT THOMPSON, Youth Services and Drug Policy
            Liaison, Vancouver Police Department
            Dr. MICHAEL KRAUSZ MD, PhD, FRCPC -University of British
            Columbia Providence Leadership Chair for Addiction
            Research
            DAVID SWAN, Executive Director, AIDS Vancouver
            DR. KERRY JANG, City Councilor, City of Vancouver
            
    Why:    To learn more about SafeGames 2010 from local leaders and
            experts;
            SafeGames 2010 Super-heroes Captain Condom and Methadone
            Man will also be present; press kits and SafeGames 2010
            SafeKits will be available
    

SOURCE SafeGames 2010

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