The Augusta Sports Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to marketing the Augusta area as a destination for amateur sporting events, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2011. A yearlong celebration is planned in recognition of 20 years changing the face of sports in Augusta.
“Twenty years ago a group of sports-minded volunteers formed the Augusta Sports Council with a goal of recruiting sporting events to the community,” said Tammy Stout, the Council’s Executive Director. “Prior to 1991, Augusta maneuvered nationally in only a couple of sports markets. Today, our management team is recognized for being among the best in the country and has partnerships in about a dozen niche sports.”
Since those early years, more than 500 events have been created, recruited or supported by the Augusta Sports Council. From the small to the multi-sport, these events have attracted more than 425,000 athletes to the area, leaving behind approximately $200 million in economic impact. A couple of stand-out opportunities include the 1996 Olympic Box-Offs, 1999 and 2002 Georgia Games Championships, ESPN Bassmaster Tournament, and most recently the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, billed as the World’s Largest Ironman Event.
“The average athlete delegation size in 2010 was 836 people reflecting a 12% increase in total number of athletes over the previous year,” Stout said. “Group sports travel has proven to be somewhat recession resistant as the number of events supported jumped by 15%. The amateur sports travel market is a $1 billion dollar a year industry, from which Augusta benefits about $16 million annually.”
The Augusta community is invited to join the Augusta Sports Council in celebrating its 20th anniversary. A special membership promotion will be offered throughout the year. New members may join at a discounted rate of $20 and will receive a limited edition 20th anniversary t-shirt. Other 20th anniversary activities will include Sports Council Night with the Augusta GreenJackets on Friday, May 27, an online sports memorabilia auction and recognition of the top 20 athletes of the past 20 years.
“It has been very rewarding to have city leaders, volunteers and private companies come aboard so eagerly year after year to grow this community through sports travel,” said Stout. “We look forward to sharing our 20th anniversary celebration with the community who all benefit from our success.”
For more information about the Augusta Sports Council, including the anniversary membership promotion, please visit www.augustasportscouncil.org or contact the Augusta Sports Council at 706.722.8326.
Subscribe