GayWhistler, the producers of the annual WinterPRIDE festival, has just secured Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre as a partner in hosting the first ever PRIDE House during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.  "We are so excited to be able to work with Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, a hotel chain that embraces similar values we hold dear; the value to be authentic, the value to embrace diversity and the value to be inclusive.  Together, we will create a safe space for our gay and lesbian community and their allies to go to during the Olympics," says Dean Nelson, CEO of GayWhistler.
 
PRIDE House will be a haven where Olympic and Paralympic athletes, coaches, family, fans and allies to come out and be their authentic selves regardless of sexual identity or preference.  PRIDE House will be a hip lounge where guests can chill and watch the games, trade pins or just hang out and meet other "kewl" open minded individuals. "It is our desire to have a couple key OUT celebrities, such as Ellen DeGeneres or Neil Patrick Harris, to come out and be part of the magic of PRIDE House," continues Nelson.  Jim Douglas, General Manager of Pan Pacific Whistler said, "We are proud to be chosen as the host venue for this historical PRIDE House.  We have always welcomed everyone to our properties with open arms and our team has always enjoyed the week of WinterPRIDE, so this was a natural and easy decision for us to embrace." 

PRIDE House will be open from February 8th through to March 24th and will take in three incredible events:  The Olympics (Feb. 12-28), WinterPRIDE (Mar. 1-8), and the Paralympics (Mar. 12-21).  
 
WinterPRIDE 2010 runs from March 1-8, 2010, and continues to revolutionize the traditional gay ski week format with its unique blend of four winter festival elements: Sports, Culinary, Health and Wellness, and Entertainment.
 
In addition to the world-class skiing and snowboarding being offered in Whistler, many of WinterPRIDE's 2009 highlights will return for 2010, such as an array of dance parties, culinary events, zip trekking and dog sledding. WinterPRIDE 2010 also offers an expanded program of on-and-off mountain events, including special events for lesbians and bears.

GayWhistler (www.gaywhistler.com) is a year-round promoter of Whistler to the gay and lesbian community, and promotes and produces the annual Gay Ski Week. GayWhistler is a subsidiary of Alpenglow Production Corporation.

Located in the heart of Whistler Blackcomb, Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre Hotel is the hottest ski resort in Whistler, British Columbia. This 83-suite Whistler hotel offers the ultimate in luxury, where guests can revitalize at the boutique spa or relax poolside at the year-round outdoor heated salt water lap pool or enjoy one of the hotel's two outdoor hot tubs, all with spectacular views of the idyllic mountains.  www.panpacificwhistler.com