News release from Visit Fort Wayne:
City of Fort Wayne, Visit Fort Wayne Announce Four Sports Development Business Grants
(June 17, 2015) – Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and Visit Fort Wayne officials announce four sports tournaments will receive Sports Development Business Grants.
The City of Fort Wayne is providing $20,000 in Sports Development Grant Fund dollars to help Visit Fort Wayne book these tournaments and secure their economic spending. The four sports tournaments will bring in an estimated 3,000 people and $798,405 in direct spending.
The sports tournaments receiving grants are:
- Professional Bowlers Association, PBA’s 50+ Open, August 14-16, 2015 and Super Senior Open, August 9-12, 2015 (1,400 attendees)
- United States Pickleball Association Great Lakes Regional Tournament, August 14-16, 2015 (300)
- National Junior Prospects Hockey League All-League Showcase, November 13-14, 2015 (1,400)
- United States Association of Blind Athletes National Goalball Championship, June 16-18, 2016 (150)
One of these tournaments is of special significance – the 2016 United States Association of Blind Athletes National Goalball Championship. This is the first national tournament involving Paralympic athletes that has been attracted to Fort Wayne through a new, collaborative partnership between Turnstone and Visit Fort Wayne.
Visit Fort Wayne will be the official marketing agent for Turnstone’s new multi-sport facilities and wellness center called “Turnstone of Tomorrow,” which is a new field house built for track, basketball and other adaptive sporting events. The field house will be used to attract future Paralympic tournaments and events to Fort Wayne. It will open in August 2015.
“We continue to see positive momentum and investment in the City of Fort Wayne,” said Mayor Henry. “Through the leadership and efforts of Visit Fort Wayne, our community is a leader in attracting regional and national events to Fort Wayne. We’re looking forward to hosting several sporting events that will complement all of the exciting activities we’re seeing in our City.”
“Turnstone is thrilled to host the 2016 Goalball National Championships, ” said Turnstone Chief Executive Director Mike Mushett. “It will be a great event to add to our growing list of sports tournaments. With the brand new field house, we look forward to working with Visit Fort Wayne and the City to attract more events in the immediate future.”
“Fort Wayne is a great destination to host national Paralympic sporting events,” said Visit Fort Wayne President/CEO Dan O’Connell. “Our city’s first-class venues, hotels, and restaurants are ready to welcome more of these types of events.”
In 2015, Fort Wayne will welcome more than 135,000 sports participants, generating an estimated $22 million dollars in economic impact.
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