Marlins and Rays hold annual FanFests on successive weekends
Marlins FanFest is February 13
The Florida Marlins are set to host the 15th Annual Jiffy Lube Marlins FanFest presented by TD Bank on Saturday, February 13 from noon to 6 P.M. at Sun Life Stadium. Admission to the event is free and open to all fans.
Jiffy Lube Marlins FanFest will provide fans with the exclusive opportunity to purchase single-game tickets for the 2010 season, including Opening Day, Closing Day, and key series against the Cubs, Phillies, Mets, Dodgers, Braves, Rangers and more. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning at noon at the stadium's box office. In addition, the event will feature a Select-A-Seat for fans interested in the various ticket plans the team offers. Also, fans can purchase a full season ticket plan for 2010 and secure priority for premium seating in the New Marlins Ballpark.
Parking gates at Sun Life Stadium will open at 11 A.M. and entrance to the stadium and all the activities will be at noon.
The day-long event will feature:
• Single game tickets go on sale at noon for the 2010 season at the Gate F Ticket Windows.
• Select-a-Seat, allowing fans to pick out and lock in their favorite seats for the season.
• Autograph sessions with Marlins players and coaches throughout the day.
• Marlins Town Hall Meetings with Marlins players, coaches, and executives in which fans get to ask the questions (1 p.m. Spanish, 2 p.m. English).
• Interactive games for all ages including Bounce Houses, Full-Size Batting Cages, Little Sluggers' Zone, Steal Home Challenge, Rock Wall, Big League Speed Pitch and many more.
• Photographs in the Marlins Dugout
• Appearances by Billy The Marlin, Lil' Billy, the Mermaids, the Manatees, DJ M-DOT, DJ Petey and Marlins Vision Host Johanna Gomez.
• Kids Clinics on the field.
• Radio Disney AM 990 Family Funzone.
• Live musical entertainment.
• Live broadcasts from the Marlins' flagship radio stations, Sports Talk 790 The Ticket and Radio Mambi 710 AM.
• Florida Marlins Community Foundation Garage Sale.
• Sports Cards and Memorabilia Show Exhibit.
• Boomers! Arcade Area
• Special trivia prizes courtesy of Marlins.com and the MLB Network.
• Interactive area at Marlins Fan Headquarters, where fans can spin the prize wheel, play MLB: The BIGS on XBOX 360, sign up for the 2010 Marlins Fan Club and register to win tickets to Opening Day.
• Tour the state-of-the-art stadium Club Level, including various amenities, group hospitality areas, Super Party Suites, All You Can Eat seats and more.
A $5 parking fee will be collected, however, it can be applied as a credit towards the purchase of game tickets. Plus, as part of the Marlins' Caravan for Earth week, all vehicles containing four or more fans will receive complimentary parking. All other proceeds will benefit the Florida Marlins Community Foundation.
Rays FanFest is February 20
To assist with Haiti relief efforts, the Tampa Bay Rays will contribute proceeds from the Tampa Bay Rays 2010 Fan Fest, presented by MetroPCS, to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund and Save the Children.
In addition, the Rays and the Rays Baseball Foundation will make donations totaling more than $50,000 to the two relief funds, including $15,000 from Rays first baseman Carlos Peņa. When the earthquake struck last week, Peņa was visiting family in Santo Domingo, D.R., approximately 80 miles from Haiti.
Fan Fest will be held Saturday, February 20 at Tropicana Field from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission and parking at Fan Fest remain free for all fans, but a $20 donation will allow fans the opportunity to get autographs from Rays players and coaches throughout the day. Autographs for kids 14 and under and season ticket holders are free with a wristband.
The Rays will also accept donations for both charities during Fan Fest, which will once again feature numerous interactive experiences for children and families.
Fans can visit the Bright House Sports Network Kids Interactive Zone and take a swing in a big league batting cage, test their fastball in the speed pitch booth and hit a home run in the Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby. Kids will also have the chance to run the bases and all fans can tour the Rays clubhouse. There will be baseball card and memorabilia displays.
In addition, former major league players will be on hand throughout the day signing autographs. There will also be panel discussions led by the Rays broadcasters interviewing baseball luminaries in the Batter's Eye restaurant.
~ Granted events to bring over 33,000 visitors to Florida –
The Florida Sports Foundation (FSF) awarded seven regional grants totaling $84,000 to sporting events throughout the State of Florida. The sale of professional sports team’s license plates throughout the state provides the source of funding for the FSF Board to award funds to statewide sports commissions hosting the events.
The seven regional grant events are expected to bring over $21 million into Florida’s economy and over 33,000 visitors to the Sunshine State between January and July, 2010.
Five different areas of the state benefitted from the FSF Grant Program and six different sports were represented. Two Baseball events featuring College Baseball teams beginning their seasons in Florida received grants. The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission received a grant for the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, to be played at Bright House Field. The Charlotte Harbor VCB received a grant for the Snowbird Baseball Classic will be played in Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and North Port.
Sporting events bring additional tourism to Florida causing a significant out-of-state economic impact on an annual basis. Since 1996, the FSF has been assisting communities around the state in their efforts to attract sport events and opportunities. The December, 2009 disbursement of regional grants was the second of the FSF 2009-10 fiscal year.
Thus far in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, the FSF awarded 15 major and regional grants totaling over $483,000. Combined, the 15 grants have a projected out of state economic impact of over $49 million and over 100,000 visitors to the State.
Full listing of Grants awarded by the FSF:
** Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions Boys National Club Lacrosse Finals, Pasco County, January 1-3
** 2010 Big Ten/Big East Collegiate Baseball Challenge, Clearwater, February 26-28
** Snowbird Collegiate Baseball Classic, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, North Port, February 27-March 27, 2010
** National Training Center Spring Collegiate Softball Games, Clermont, February 22 – April 22, 2010
** USA Taekwondo Junior Olympics and Senior National Championships, Orlando, June 29 – July 4, 2010
** American Youth Soccer Organization National Games, Palm Beach County, July 4, 11, 2010
** 2010 Acrobatic Gymnastics Junior Olympic National Championships, Kissimmee, July 22-29, 2010
2010 Governor's Baseball Dinner ticket purchase deadline approaching
Time is running out to purchase tickets for the 2010 Governor’s Baseball Dinner as the ticket purchase deadline has been extended to Friday, February 12. Join Florida Governor Charlie Crist on the eve of the first day Pitchers and Catchers report for many teams in the Grapefruit League. The 2010 Governor’s Baseball Dinner will again take place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, February 17. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by the dinner program at 7:00 p.m.
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets online. Individual tickets are $100 and tables of 10 are available for $1,000.
The Governor’s Baseball Dinner lineup once again includes a Who’s Who of heavy hitters in the world of Major League Baseball. Besides representatives from the teams holding spring training in the Sunshine State, along with Florida-based member clubs of Minor League Baseball, Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig, has accepted the Governor’s invitation to attend.
Three Hall of Fame members have been confirmed to attend the 2010 Dinner as previous years have been a showcase for members of the Cooperstown elite. The Home Run King and 21-time All-Star Game selection, Hank Aaron, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982 will be in attendance. Joining Aaron at the head table is former Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline, the youngest player to win an American League batting title at age 20 in 1955 and a 1980 selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Florida native Andre Dawson, the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame being inducted in 2010, the 1987 National League Most Valuable Player and current member of the Florida Marlins staff, rounds out the current lineup with others possibly being added before the dinner.
In previous years, the Hall of Famer list included Robin Roberts, Mike Schmidt, Phil Niekro Tony Perez and Wade Boggs. Ken Griffey, Sr., Eric Davis, Kent Tekulve and Manny Sanguillen were among other notable former players in attendance.
The 2010 Governor’s Baseball Dinner will be emceed by longtime Major League Baseball play-by-play announcer Gary Thorne, currently the voice of the Baltimore Orioles.
As in the past, the Governor’s Baseball Dinners will salute the defending World Series Champions and runners-up: the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays in 2009, and the New York Yankees and Philadelphia in 2010.
Florida’s salute to spring training honors a tradition dating back to the late 1800s. Baseball fans in attendance will also be treated to a Florida Spring Training Baseball museum exhibit, “Play Ball: The History of Spring Training in the Sunshine State,” and a silent auction presented by the Ted Williams Museum & Hitters Hall of Fame.
The 2010 Florida Grapefruit League season will begin on March 3 in 14 locations around the state with 15 teams playing throughout the month of March. An economic impact survey commissioned by the Florida Sports Foundation, and completed by Bonn Marketing Research, showed Florida Spring Training Baseball brings a $752 million annually to the state.
All proceeds from the Governor’s Baseball Dinner, after expenses, will support 44 Forever, a program of the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation.
Event sponsorships are also available through the Florida Sports Foundation, contact Sarah Kirchberg at (850) 488-8347 for more information.
Germain Family earns Sunshine State Games Athlete of the Year
While family competition is constantly growing in Florida's Sunshine State Games, Polk County’s first family of Judo, the Germain family (Brian, Chris, Katie and Kelly) has been a constant in the annual Judo competition since 2000. For their ongoing support and success in the Games, they have been named the 2009 Sunshine State Games Athletes of the Year.
Back Row (L-R) County Commissioners Sam Johnson, Randy Wilkinson, Bob English, Ed Smith and Jean Reed
Front Row (L-R) Summerlin Academy commandant, Colonel (Hon) Michael R Butler, Chris Germain, Kelly Germain, Katie Germain and Brian Germain
The Germain family was recognized Tuesday morning at the Polk County Commission Meeting for their efforts from more than 8,000 athletes competing in 2009 Sunshine State Games competitions including the Summer Games, which were held in Polk County, June 12-14. More than 4,500 amateur athletes participated in the Summer Games in Polk County.
Each member of the family played a part in the Sunshine State Games Judo competition in 2009 from start to finish. From recruiting competitors, to venue setup, to technical assistance at the scoring table to competition, and winning matches and medals on the mat, Brian, Chris, Katie and Kelly Germain were invaluable to the success of the Judo event in 2009.
“The Germain family has been crucial to the success of the Sunshine State Games Judo in Polk County for the last couple of years,” said Fred Hand, the Sunshine State Games Judo Sport Director and friend of the family. “Each member of the family and the club members from Summerlin Judo, where Brian is an instructor, have helped with the event and making it run successfully.”
Brian and his daughters competed in Sunshine State Games judo for the 10th consecutive year in 2009 and he has served as the local Judo chairman since the Games have been held in Polk County.
Brian Germain, a fourth degree black belt who has traveled the world competing in judo competitions, is now an international coach and instructor at Summerlin Judo in Lakeland. Germain won a 2009 gold medal in the Master's Division, 100kg weight class in an epic battle and “gripping clinic” with John Fiege, another international judoka, from Jacksonville.
Germain, 50 years old, checks in at 6-4, 205 pounds while Fiege is 42, 6-8, 220 lbs. Germain went through the bracket winning five matches and losing one. The division came down to a best of three match with Brian winning first and third matches for the gold medal.
Equally competitive in this judo family are Brian’s two daughters, Katie and Kelly. Katie has competed in the Sunshine State Games nine of the last 10 years. In 2000 she won her first Sunshine State Games gold medal in the Junior Division, 6-8 years old, 41-50 lbs. In her Sunshine State Games career she has won six gold medals and three silver medals.
At the 2009 Sunshine State Games, she won the gold medal in the Juvenile Division 54-61kg weight class and was named the Most Outstanding Junior Female Performer of the competition. Following her Sunshine State Games performance, Germain won a bronze medal at the USA Judo Junior Olympic National Championships in late-July at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.
"I can definitely say Katie is in the mix as one of the top girls in the country right now," Coach and father, Brian said following the competition. "She has been training very hard and continues to develop and perform well. As she matures, I'll be looking for a lot more out of her."
When not on the judo mat, Katie also competes in Track and Field and Freestyle Wrestling.
Kelly Germain, a Sunshine State Games competitor since 2003, won three matches to take the gold medal in the Female Intermediate 2 (Age 11 and 12), 50kg weight class at the 2009 Games. She has won four gold and four silver medals competing in the last seven consecutive Sunshine State Games since. She began competing in 2003 when she was six years old.
Rounding out the family awards for 2009 Chris German who won the annual Spirit of Tai Yosheda Award, give to a Technical Official or Referee. During the 2009 Games, Chris provided technical assistance at the head scoring table and made sure individual matches at three different Judo mats at the Lakeland Center. She also provided valulable support for Brian, Katie and Kelly.
For more information about the 2010 Calendar of Florida’s Sunshine State Games events, please visit www.flasports.com. The Florida Sports Foundation annually offers competition in 25 amateur sports through the Sunshine State Games. Since 1980, the Games have been held to serve Florida’s athletes and community in promoting amateur sports.
Polk County, Florida Named as Host City for Southeast Sports Festival
The Third and Fourth Southeast Sports Festivals will be held in Polk County, Florida in the summer of 2010 and 2012. The Southeast Sports Festival is a multi-sport festival with athletes from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia eligible to compete after qualifying at the respective State Games.
Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia also have provisional permission to participate in the 2010 Southeast Sports Festival.
“Polk County’s experience in hosting multi-sport events and the communities support make it an ideal host city for the Southeast Sports Festival,” said Marc T. Riker, President of Southeast Sports Festival. “Plus, being a destination area, for participants and family members to visit, is an added benefit.”
The tentative roster of sports for the Third Southeast Sports Festival currently includes Fencing, Lacrosse, Soccer, Taekwondo and Track & Field with the possibility of Baseball, Basketball, Cycling and Table Tennis being added at a later date.
“Polk County is very excited to be selected as the host of the 2010 and 2012 Southeast Sports Festival,” said Marc Zimmerman, Sales and Events Manager for Central Florida’s Polk County Sports Marketing. “This event will help to bolster the local economy at a much needed time. Having hosted the Sunshine State Games for the past three years hosting the Southeast Sports Festival is the next logical step.”
Polk County venues currently scheduled to be used for the Southeast Sports Festival include The Lakeland Center, Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Lakeland’s Simpson Park and Frostproof High School.
The Southeast Sports Festival is a biennial event that began in 2006 in Shelby County, Alabama. It was held in Tallahassee in 2008. Polk County, home of the 2007 through 2009 Florida’s Sunshine State Games, will serve as hosts for the next two events. Dates of competition for the 2010 Southeast Sports Festival will be July 30 – August 1, 2010.
For more information as it becomes available, please check www.southeastsportsfestival.org.
During the past year, more than 225 Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing-assisted events generated in excess of $126 million in economic benefits for Polk County. General information on sports in Polk County can be found by visiting the PCSM website at www.centralfloridasports.com.
Florida Spring Baseball is Big Business for Florida
~ Annually Brings more than $750 Million to the Sunshine State ~
The 2009 Florida Grapefruit League season may have lasted only 39 days, but the total economic value (impact) of the Major League Baseball Spring Training to the Florida economy was estimated to be $752.3 million, according to a new study conducted by the Bonn Marketing Research Group, and commissioned by the Florida Sports Foundation in conjunction with the Office of the Governor and Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development.
The 2009 study found that the 2009 Major League Baseball (MLB) Spring Training season generated $284.2 million in total labor income and supported or created 9,205 part-time and full-time jobs. The study showed an increase of $299 million from a study completed during the 2000 Florida Spring Training season that showed a $453 million economic impact. When broken down on a per team basis, the 2009 study shows an average of $47 million economic impact per team to the community that hosts a Major League team for Spring Training.
Included in the economic impact analysis are the 16 MLB teams spring training operating expenditures in the State of Florida, the operating expenditures of the 15 stadiums that house MLB spring training operations, the concessionaire spring training operating expenditures at the 15 stadiums, and spring training game attendee expenditures.
Spring training game attendee expenditures were calculated from data collected through 1,600 personal interviews at all of the 15 spring training stadiums in Florida. Attendees were surveyed during four randomly selected home games for each of the 16 MLB teams.
The largest source of direct expenditures from Spring Training baseball operations is fan spending, accounting for 91 percent of the total expenditures generated by 2009 MLB Florida spring training.
“Major League Baseball has a following that transcends economic downturns,” Dr. Mark Bonn, President of the Bonn Marketing Research Group, the firm that conducted the study. “People make their decisions to travel almost a year out and many of the respondents were repeat attendees at Spring Training Games. Economic conditions have little effect upon their decision to come to Florida for spring training. It’s more about loyalty than economics.”
The 2009 Florida Spring Training Baseball season, which lasted from February 25 and April 4, drew a total of 1,561,873 fans to 259 games at 15 locations around the State of Florida for an average of more than 6,000 fans per game.
In an effort to determine the number of out-of-state attendees, professionally-trained surveyors for the Tallahassee-based Bonn Marketing Research Group, determined the origin of each attendee before the personal interview began. With that information, the survey estimated out-of-state spring training attendees stating “attending spring training” as their primary trip purpose, contributed $571.7 million in total spending output.
During the 2009 MLB Florida spring training season, 48 percent of attendees were from out of state, 28 percent of attendees were Florida, non-county attendees traveling to another county to see a Grapefruit League game and 24 percent of attendees were Florida, in-county attendees.
2009 MLB Florida spring training attendees spent an average of $313.65 per party per day, spent 5.82 nights and traveled with an average party size of 2.95 persons.
Other survey results determined a high level of satisfaction through 1,600 personal interviews conducted at spring training sites. More than 60 percent of the fans surveyed had previously attended a Florida Spring Training game and 91.9 percent indicated that they would attend another game.
The Florida Sports Foundation offers an annual, complementary guide to all MLB teams in Florida's Grapefruit League including stadium locations, ticket prices, telephone numbers, team schedules and more. For a listing of Florida Grapefruit League teams holding their annual spring training in the Sunshine State and their locations around the state, please visit www.floridagrapefruitleague.com.
CLICK HERE to obtain a complete copy of the survey, a 71 page pdf document
