In Reply to: Modern Day Cupid Announes Feb. 9 Gay & Lesbian Sprint Dating for Charity posted by Justin Rudd on January 07, 2003 at 17:53:06:

Are you a gay man or lesbian having difficulty finding a date in time for Valentine's Day? "Gay Sprint Dating" and "Lesbian Sprint Dating" will take place in Long Beach on Sunday, February 9 at 7 p.m. in the Gondola Room, upstairs at A Modo Mio (My Way) restaurant, 6521 East PCH, Long Beach Marketplace. Some 130+ singles from around Southern California are expected to attend. $25 at the door. Reservations are required. Proceeds will benefit the Southern California Spelling Bee Championship and the monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanup.

To register, simply send your current e-mail, phone number and full name to JustinRudd@aol.com. Confirmations will be sent by e-mail. $25 donation at the door.

On the Net: http://www.SprintDating.org.

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On that evening, participants will meet one-on-one with other singles for three-minute intervals. Immediately afterwards, participants are asked to switch partners. After a sixty-minute period, each participant will have met about 15 singles, with the hope that one of them might be "Mr. or Ms. Right." At the end of the evening, Sprint Daters are encouraged to fill out a form where they will indicate whom they would like to see again. If there is a match, phone numbers are exchanged and the couple is free to begin the dating process.

In order to facilitate Sprint Dating, Rudd has devised a list of suggested questions to help break the ice, such as "What do you do on a typical weekend?" "What kinds of movies do you enjoy?" and "What is your favorite restaurant?" Some questions, however, are off-limits, such as those about personal finances, HIV status, one's street address or questions of sexual content.

"Thousands of singles in major metropolitan cities around the world have found fascination with the fast dating concept since shows like Sex in the City, Will & Grace, and Good Morning America have had features about it," said Rudd. Rudd's Sprint Dating events have been covered by US News & World Report and twice by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

"The idea of this program is to introduce gay men and women to each other in an environment outside a bar or computer chat room," Rudd commented. "I'm an advocate for meeting new friends and potential dates without the typical expectations and high pressure associated with the dating process."

Sprint Dating is part of Justin Rudd's Community Action Team (CAT) -- a nonprofit corporation that succeeds in producing community events with purpose and passion. Rudd also organizes the monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanup and Haute Dogs on the Beach events; Operation Santa Paws; the UQ Race for Charity; the Easter and Howl'oween Haute Dog Parades; raises money for AIDS, breast cancer, environmental and animal charities; and coordinates Long Beach's weekly Monday Night Supper Club, which has a membership of more than 2,000 local gay men and women. Visit www.JustinRudd.com for details on these programs.

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On the Net: http://www.SprintDating.org.