Beginning in 1985, several groups of dedicated, talented, hard-working individuals have volunteered countless hours to plan and present the annual Cleveland G.I.F.T. Bowling Tournament.  (Some of these folks have been involved in some capacity every year since then.)  During its 22 years of existence, G.I.F.T. has become one of the premier events in the Greater Cleveland area.  The tournament has found a permanent home at Buckeye Lanes in North Olmsted, an establishment which in the past has hosted the Cleveland Open on the Pro Bowlers Tour.

With the help of corporate sponsors Coors, Zima, Miller, Storm Bowling Supplies and the generous support of many local businesses and organizations, tournament organizers have welcomed hundreds of men and women from across the US and Canada to the North Coast for a weekend of bowling, fun, and fellowship.  Over the years, fund raisers such as Moonlight Bowls, various Raffles, Roller Skating Parties, Bar Nights, Pool Tournaments, and yes, even Drag Shows have been incorporated to help offset the costs of presenting such a huge event.  In addition to the thousands of dollars in bowling prize money and raffle gifts and prizes, the G.I.F.T. Committee has been able to donate more than ten thousand dollars over the years to local organizations such as AIDS Taskforce, The Center, Prysm, the Pride Committee, Kamana House, and the AkronCommunity AIDS Network.

The annual G.I.F.T. Cruise (which was originally planned as "something unique" for bowlers and guests to do on Saturday night) has evolved into one of the single most attended GLBT events in Cleveland.  Each year since 1989 anywhere from 400-600 people have boarded the privately chartered Goodtime III for a party on the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.  By all accounts, this has become an evening not to be missed.

There have been several times when the G.I.F.T. tournament has been anchored by a theme carried out over the entire weekend.  Past themes include a Pajama Party, Candy Bowl, Rainbow Bowl, Shipwrecked, Under Construction, Broadway and Mardi Gras.  We held a Rainbow Wedding "Here Comes the Pride" (with stereotypical wedding gifts given away as raffle prizes). And no one who was there will ever forget the Jungle Bowl where the Awards Banquet was held in the Primate Building of the Cleveland Zoo. (You haven't lived until you've dined while watching our evolutionary ancestors scratching themselves in various places and…well…you get the idea). 

Cleveland G.I.F.T. is affiliated with the International Gay/Lesbian BowlingOrganization (IGBO), the umbrella institution for hundreds of GLBT bowling leagues and tournaments throughout the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.  Locally the three GLBT bowling leagues currently operating in Cleveland and Akron are members of IGBO.  Cleveland was chosen to host the annual IGBO tournament in May, 1998. “Cleveland Rocks IGBO” Memorial Day Weekend opened with a huge Welcome Party for some 500 bowlers and guests in the main hall of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse on Lakeside Avenue.

This year's G.I.F.T. Committee, co-directed by Bill Palarchio and Jim Gruzosky, has pledged to make this tournament (with a guaranteed minimum $10,000 prize fund) one of the best ever.

If you are a bowler, and even if you’re not, we hope you will join us the weekend of June 13 - 15, 2008, for the 20th Cleveland Gay/Lesbian Invitational Fellowship Tournament, the G.I.F.T. Cruise, and all the rest of the fun on America’s North Coast.