SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
Issue link: https://sportsevents.epubxp.com/i/634578
January 2016 26 www.sportseventsmagazine.com R E C O G N I T I O N I S S U E t Award Winning Events The following events were nominated by SportsEvents readers as standout compettons based on a variety of factors, such as community support, unique locatons, athlete partcipaton, experience and more. FORT4FITNESS Carrie Reeb, Director of Marketing and Community Relations Fort Wayne, IN 9 Years Planning Event Taking the frst step to better health may be the hardest. But Fort4Fitness, which ofers an annual race for runners in the fall and cyclists in the spring, allows competitors to choose the distance they're willing to go. "We cater to the person trying to make a lifestyle change and get active," Carrie Reeb says. "We ofer several diferent distances to allow a person to set a variety of goals, move up in distance if they wish, and enjoy a fun, cel- ebratory atmosphere while doing so." Fort4Fitness realizes that completing a goal—whatever it is—is cause for celebration. Fittingly, the fnish line of the race is close to home plate in Parkview Field, Fort Wayne's Minor League Baseball Stadium. But the impact of the competition goes beyond the individual benefts for every runner or cyclist, which Reeb credits as the event's most positive aspect. "Over 30 per- cent of our participants ran or walked on behalf of one of our charity partners," she says. "We had 50 charity partners in 2014— the most ever! They represent a huge sector of our participants and we reward them with a percentage of their entry fees given back to them after the event." With Fort4Fitness attracting more than 10,000 participants, recruiting enough volun- teers can be the biggest challenge, according to Reeb. But she says they take every oppor- tunity to recognize their service. POP WARNER SUPER BOWL AND NATIONAL CHEER AND DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Jon Butler, Executive Director Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. Langhorne, PA 21 Years Planning Event Every year, the Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships give young competitors the chance to shine on a big stage. Jon Butler, Executive Director of Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc., which hosts the competi- tion, says that exposure is what sets his event apart from the rest in his industry. "The coverage of ESPN3 and ESPN2 really gives our young participants a thrill," he says. "Additionally, ESPN edits a daily 10-minute highlight package that they air, and is shown on an internal channel throughout the Disney resorts, so our young participants may get to see themselves on TV." Knowing that's an attractive draw for play- ers and cheerleaders, Butler has worked to allow even more to participate in the event. "We've worked with local media to boost attendance at our event and we've expanded the opportunities for additional football teams and cheer and dance squads to participate in our season-ending celebration," he says. PREFONTAINE CLASSIC Tom Jordan, Meet Director Oregon Track Club - Eugene, OR 32 Years Planning Event If you're a fan of track, then you're familiar with the Prefontaine Classic, one of the premier track and feld events in the world. Held in Eugene, OR at the historic Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus, the Prefontaine Classic brings together Olympic- and World Championship-level athletes. Named for U.S. distance leg- end Steve Prefontaine, the Prefontaine Classic is the longest running invitational meet in the country. This year will mark the 43rd edition of the event. Meet Director Tom Jordan has been plan- ning the Prefontaine Classic for 32 years. "The Prefontaine Classic has earned a reputation as the marquee event in the sport in the United States," he says. "Much like The Masters in golf or Wimbledon in tennis, the Pre Classic in track and feld is unrivaled in its reputation." One of the top-3 rated invitational track and feld meets in the world, the Prefontaine Classic drew in more than 83 million world- wide viewers in the 2015 edition of the event. Planning such a popular event requires sponsors, leadership and teamwork. For the past 32 years, NIKE has been the Prefontaine Classic's title sponsor, and many of the event's volunteers have helped support it for a decade. U. S. QUIDDITCH CUP Joe Pickett, U.S. Quidditch International Location Coordinator Bradenton, FL 1 Year Planning Event From the pages of the popular Harry Potter novels comes the inspiration for the U.S. Quidditch Cup, the culmination of ► Fort4Fitness Pop Warner Super Bowl & National Cheer & Dance Championships Prefontaine Classic