For a printable version of this newsletter, click here.
|
||||||||||||
| The Sports Commission partnered with the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation to provide hundreds of area kids the opportunity to attend the two major college football games taking place in St. Louis this fall. The two organizations created a “Kids Corner” for the State Farm Arch Rivalry and the American Family Insurance Gateway Football Classic. Local companies were encouraged to purchase tickets, which were then donated to area youth organizations. The initiative was chaired by Tony Thompson, Sports Commission board director and KWAME Building Group president and CEO. The Sports Commission and Gateway Football Classic thank Tony, KWAME and Edward Jones for their generous support of the “Kids Corner.” The Gateway Football Classic featuring Langston vs. Stillman took place Sept. 29 at the Edward Jones Dome. | |
In addition to the “Kids Corner” groups, more than 300 kids participated in a free youth football clinic and symposium before the Arch Rivalry game. The Sports Commission and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission teamed up with the Demetrious Johnson Foundation, the St. Louis American, HOT 104.1 and FOXY 95.5 to host the clinic. Participants heard from former football players, Mizzou men’s basketball head coach Mike Anderson, and representatives from the St. Louis Educational System and Police Department about the importance of education, sportsmanship and sports. Kids attending the clinic also had the chance to tour the Edward Jones Dome field. They received lunch, a t-shirt and a free ticket to the game. The Sports Commission and the CVC salute Demetrious Johnson, who was instrumental in putting the clinic together and setting the stage for an unforgettable day for the kids in attendance. |
 Missouri men's basketball head coach Mike Anderson speaks to area youngsters at the 2007 State Farm Arch Rivalry Youth Football Clinic. |
 |
The Sports Commission, St. Louis Area Foodbank, and St. Louis Rams host the Taste of the NFL on Oct. 15. The fifth annual event will be held at the Foodbank’s distribution headquarters in Earth City. Taste of the NFL is a food and wine tasting extravaganza benefiting two outstanding community organizations. Attendees get to meet and mingle with Rams players and cheerleaders while enjoying great food and drink prepared by chefs from the area’s best restaurants. Rams defensive tackle La’Roi Glover will serve as the event captain for the second straight year. The event benefits the Sports Commission's Youth Programs & Sportsmanship Initiative and the St. Louis Area Foodbank. Since its inaugural year in 2003, the event has raised more than $300,000 for the two organizations. For more information, click here or call Kristin Folkl-Kaburakis at 314-992-0686. |
The U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team’s first match following the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be played at the Edward Jones Dome on Saturday, Oct. 13. The U.S. squad, which finished third at the World Cup, will face off against North American rival Mexico at 7 p.m. The U.S. team features St. Louis native Lori Chalupny, a Nerinx Hall graduate. The game will be the first soccer match ever played at the Edward Jones Dome. Tickets start at $20 and are on sale now through ticketmaster.com, by phone at 314-421-4400, and at all St. Louis area Ticketmaster ticket centers (including Schnucks). Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form by clicking here or call U.S. Soccer at 312-528-1290 to take advantage of a special group discount offer. |
 |
| St. Louisan Lori Chalupny and the U.S. Women's Soccer National Team will face Mexico at the Edward Jones Dome on Oct. 13. | |
 |
College hockey fans came to St. Louis by the thousands in April, as the Gateway City hosted its first Frozen Four in 32 years. Followers of Boston College, Maine, Michigan State, and North Dakota joined St. Louisans and other college hockey fanatics in packing Scottrade Center. The games did not disappoint, as Michigan State and Boston College advanced to play one of the most thrilling championship games in front of an NCAA-record 19,432 fans. Michigan State captured its third title, capping an unprecedented week-long celebration of hockey in St. Louis. The Pontiac Youth Skills Challenge, St. Louis Bandits vs. U.S.A National Development Team game, Hobey Baker and Hockey Humanitarian award presentations, Pontiac Frozen Four Skills Challenge, and pep rallies kept Scottrade Center and Union Station abuzz with pucks and people. The event brought more than 15,000 visitors to St. Louis and generated an estimated 12,000 room nights over Easter weekend – an otherwise quiet period for the hospitality industry. Working with its co-host, College Hockey America, the Sports Commission managed the local organizing committee and host responsibilities for the Frozen Four. |
North Dakota and Boston College faced off in the Frozen Four semifinals. |
|
One month before his induction ceremony into the Baseball Hall of Fame, San Diego Padres’ great Tony Gwynn came to St. Louis on June 21 to be honored – not for the speed of his bat but for the strength of his character. The Hall of Famer joined Sharon Robinson, daughter of the late Jackie Robinson, for the keynote interview at the AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards, one of the most inspiring nights in sports. The ninth annual event moved and thrilled both audience and honorees alike, as inspirational role models like Trevor Bunch, Travis Jones, and the Army women’s basketball team joined Gwynn, Robinson and local favorites Marc Bulger, Josh Kinney, and Jamal Mayers at the Chase Park Plaza. The remarkable evening concluded with Gwynn staying on stage for more than an hour after the event to sign autographs and pose for pictures. The AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards returns to St. Louis next June. For more information, click here or contact Kristin Folkl Kaburakis at 314-992-0686. Produced by the Sports Commission and the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, the AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards is the signature event of the Sports Commission’s Sportsmanship Initiative. |
 Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn speaks with Mike Bush, KSDK anchor and AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards emcee, after receiving his award. |
 |
Scottrade Center will be abuzz March 20-22, 2008, as the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships return to St. Louis for the fourth time this decade. Tickets for the championships start at just $60 for an all-session ticket, and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 314-241-1888, or in person at any Ticketmaster outlet or the Scottrade Center Box Office. Special hotel rates for wrestling fans can be found here. Group, partial and VIP packages are available by phone at 314-206-7388. For more information on the event (which also returns to the Gateway City in 2009), visit stlsports.org/wrestling. |
 |
|
| After eight years of service to the Sports Commission, executive assistant Jan Carlock retired Sept. 7. Known as “the friendliest member of the Sports Commission staff,” Jan will be greatly missed. She plans to travel with her husband Phil and spend more time with her grandchildren. Filling Jan’s position is Debbie Kane, who comes to the Sports Commission after three years as the office manager at Nova Medsystems. Debbie previously spent 13 years as an administrative coordinator at the Washington University Medical School. A graduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Debbie lives in Kirkwood and has two sons: Brendan and Daniel. She can be reached at 314-992-0687 or dkane@stlsports.org. Also joining the staff since our last update is former Sports Commission intern Annie McMullin, who was promoted to event coordinator in April. Annie is a graduate of Amherst College. She can be reached at 314-992-0647 or amcmullin@stlsports.org. |
 |
The Tour of Missouri, America’s newest elite professional cycling race, culminated in St. Louis on Sept. 16, as George Hincapie made Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team’s last American ride a victorious one. The 562-mile, six-day race brought out more than 600,000 fans across Missouri, including more than 60,000 in St. Louis, to see some of the world’s best cyclists compete. The race also showcased the State of Missouri to millions of viewers on the Versus Network during a special broadcast on Sept. 22. The Sports Commission provided volunteer and publicity support for the inaugural race. For more information on the Tour of Missouri, click here. |
In honor of Rick Hummel's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch presents "Commish and the Cardinals – The most memorable games, as covered by Hall of Famer Rick Hummel for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch." This paperback book includes 224 full-color pages of stories and photos, a reflection by Rick on each game, an opening salute to the "Commish" by Bernie Miklasz, and ten bonus moments that could not be left out. The book is $21.95 ($19.95 for Post-Dispatch subscribers) and can be purchased here. The Sports Commission congratulates Rick as well as St. Louis’ other newest hall of famers, Roger Wehrli and Al MacInnis. Four-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, considered one of the greatest female athletes of all time, was named a recipient of the 2007 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Women and Sport Trophy. Nominated for the honor by the United States Olympic Committee, Joyner-Kersee was recognized as the Americas’ continental trophy winner for her active role in the advancement of girls through sport. The IOC Women and Sport Trophy was awarded on March 8 at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland in conjunction with International Women’s Day and as a part of the annual meeting of the IOC Women and Sport Commission. Joyner-Kersee, a native of East St. Louis, served as the Sports Commission’s chair from 1997-2000. |
The Final Four... Frozen Four... College Cup... NCAA Wresting Championships... Mizzou-Illinois State Farm Arch Rivalry... U.S. Figure Skating Championships... U.S. Olympic Trials... AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards... The one constant in all of these events is the St. Louis Sports Commission. You can be part of the organization responsible for delivering the best in sports to America’s best sports city by becoming a Friend of the Sports Commission. Friends make an annual $100 contribution and help the Sports Commission fulfill its mission of making St. Louis a better place to live, visit, work and play through sports. To become a Sports Commission Friend, or for information on how you can support the organization at a higher level as a Champion or Partner, please call Kristin Folkl-Kaburakis at 314-992-0687 or simply click here. The Sports Commission salutes its current Partners, Champions and Friends for their support. The list of companies and individuals supporting the organization's development programs appears below. |
 |
| Frank Viverito | President | fviverito@stlsports.org |
| Noah Cohan | Communications Manager | ncohan@stlsports.org |
| Kristin Folkl-Kaburakis | Director of Development | kfolkl@stlsports.org |
| Karli Juenger | Director of Event Sales & Marketing | kjuenger@stlsports.org |
| Debbie Kane | Executive Assistant / Office Manager | dkane@stlsports.org |
| Annie McMullin | Event Coordinator | amcmullin@stlsports.org |
| Chris Roseman | Vice President - Event Acquisition & Management | croseman@stlsports.org |
| Marc Schreiber | Vice President - Marketing & Development | mschreiber@stlsports.org |
| Gina Bauman | Business Manager | gbauman@stlsports.org |
| Travis Harris | Intern | tharris@stlsports.org |
| Kelly Peery | Intern | kpeery@stlsports.org |
.jpg)
Doug & Anne Albrecht |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Civic Partners
 |
City of St. Louis |
Silver Partners
 |
 |
 |
FastSigns – Bridgeton |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Merrill Lynch |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
Bronze Partners
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
CompManagement/ HealthLink |
Jeff Cooper |
 |
 |
Arnold W. and Hazel A. Donald Charitable Fund of the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Hyatt Regency – |
 |
 |
 |
Walter Lamkin |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Scott Meader |
Michael J. Milne MD |
 |
 |
 |
Missouri Athletic Club |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Roberts Companies |
St. Louis City Center |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Rob Trulaske |
Unico, Inc. |
 |
 |
 |
Wilkes Direct |
 |
2007 Champions
|
|