Sports Backers again recognized as
best sports commission in the country

Organization cited for second time in four years

RICHMOND, VA (April 29, 2009) – The Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers have again been recognized as the leader in its industry, receiving the National Association of Sports Commissions' (NASC) 2009 Member of the Year award. The NASC made the announcement earlier today during its annual Sports Event Symposium in Denver, Co.  This is the second time in four years that the Sports Backers have received the award, also taking it home in 2006.

"As hard as it is to win this award once, to be able to do it again shows just how high this organization has set the bar," said Sports Backers president Roy Grier.  “What’s even more exciting is that we have a committed staff that is constantly working on ways to improve the performance of everything we do as an organization.  We think there’s even more that we can accomplish.”

The Sports Commission of the Year award recognizes the NASC member that has had the most outstanding impact on its local community through sporting events based on the following criteria:

• Quality of the sporting events brought to the community based on: community interest, size of event in relation to community size, and the impact the event had on the community.
• Events from which the community as a whole or significant number of area residents received benefit.
• Evidence that these activities benefited community organizations financially or otherwise.

A panel of association members reviewed all nominations. More than 350 cities are members of the NASC – the sports event industry's leading networking organization. The Sports Backers now join Atlanta (three times) and St. Louis (twice) as multiple-time winners of the award.

"It was very difficult to judge the member of the year award because so many cities produce such high quality events,” said Sports Products International President Hill Carrow, who was one of the award judges, “but the Sports Backers distinguished themselves by their ability to bring so many tangible benefits to the Richmond community.  It is amazing to see what the organization has accomplished through an impressively focused and efficient operation."

In 2008, the Sports Backers were involved with 38 different events with over 353,000 total participants and spectators that generated over $61 million in economic impact.  Among the events the Sports Backers own and operate are the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue, Dominion Riverrock, Anthem Stride through Time. U.S. Army 3 on 3 Summer Hoops and the SunTrust Richmond Marathon.

In addition to growing sports tourism, the organization manages the Times-Dispatch/Sports Backers Scholarship program that annually provides $60,000 in college scholarships to area student athletes.  The Sports Backers also help motivate thousands of area youth to be more active on a regular basis through our Fit For Life youth running program.

Sports Backers is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization founded in October 1991 to develop a better community through sports.  The mission of the organization is to “stimulate the local economy by bringing sporting events to the region to benefit our residents.”  This mission is accomplished by focusing on three main strategic objectives:

• Attracting, creating and improving significant sporting events;
• Serving as the catalyst for building superior sports facilities;
• Aiding area youth through sports outreach programs.

"As a charitable non-profit organization, the success of the Sports Backers has been made possible through the support of thousands of volunteers, hundreds of contributors, dozens of sponsors, the local governments, dozens of local sports organizations and partnerships with local non-profit organizations," said Grier.   “While we are thrilled to win this award, I’m even prouder of the way our organization has responded to the economic downturn.  Rather than cutting back, we are aggressively adding new events to our schedule in 2009 including Dominion Riverrock, Anthem Stride Through Time, and Sports Backers 5 on 5 Flag Football.  And, we hope to announce two new events for this year in the next month.”

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