For a printable version of this newsletter, click here.
May 22, 2008 |
Editor's Note: Summer’s almost here and the St. Louis Sports Commission’s calendar is heating up! With the 10th Annual AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards around the corner, and the highly-anticipated 2008 State Farm Arch Rivalry game between ranked Missouri and Illinois squads closing fast, there’s plenty to get excited about in the coming months. And don’t forget the many other major events on deck in 2009. Read on for all the exciting details! |
AT&T NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS
CELEBRATE ALL THAT’S RIGHT IN SPORTS JUNE 5
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Western Oregon's Sara Tucholsky is carried around the bases by Central Washington players Liz Wallace (L) and Mallory Holtman. All three will appear at the 2008 AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards.
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One of the most moving nights in sports returns to the Chase Park Plaza’s Khorassan Ballroom on June 5, 2008, as the 10th Annual AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards honors America’s most respected athletes and sports personalities. Presented by the Sports Commission and the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, the event celebrates all that’s right in sports, honoring individuals from around the nation for their integrity, class, selflessness, kindness, community service and overall commitment to sportsmanship. Among this year’s award recipients are Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace, the Central Washington University softball players who made national headlines last month when they carried an opponent around the bases who had hit a home run but suffered a torn ACL rounding first. The event will also honor St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft, St. Louis Blues goaltender Manny Legace, and several other individuals who aren’t necessarily high-profile stars, but bring with them the most inspiring stories. The event’s live keynote interview will feature Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who will be recognized with a lifetime achievement award for his role in the game’s significant renaissance and charitable endeavors. Individual tickets and table sponsorships are still available. For more information, click here or call 314-992-0686. |
EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR
2008 STATE FARM ARCH RIVALRY
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It’s only May, and already the calls and e-mails have been pouring in as Missouri and Illinois fans get ready for what promises to be one of the most anticipated college football match-ups in St. Louis history: the 2008 State Farm Arch Rivalry. Coming off appearances in the Cotton and Rose Bowls, the Tigers and Illini will kick off their 2008 campaigns at the Edward Jones Dome at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008.
Ticket Information: Tickets for the game go on sale to the public on July 22 through Ticketmaster. (Sports Commission members will receive information on their opportunity to purchase tickets through the organization in mid June.).
VIP Packages: For now, fans who want to secure great seats can take advantage of special VIP packages being sold by the Sports Commission. Join The Rivals Club to secure some of the best seats in the Edward Jones Dome and enjoy access to the Rams Club with an exclusive pregame buffet featuring an American Carvery, Taste of Tuscany pasta selection, assorted salads from the Chef’s Harvest and a sweets table. New this year is an ultimate VIP Tailgate experience, featuring prime tickets for the game and a private party space on Baer Plaza, adjacent to the Dome. For more information, call Karli Juenger at 314-206-7388.
For the latest on the 2008 State Farm Arch Rivalry, hosted by the Sports Commission and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, visit www.statefarmarchrivalry.com. |
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In This Issue |
AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards Return June 5
Excitement Builds for State Farm Arch Rivalry
Women's Final Four Ticket Application Deadline is May 31
NCAA Wrestling a Rousing Success
NAIA Track & Field Championships Sprint Into Town
NCAA Division II Baseball Comes
to St. Louis
Pro Golf's Best to Compete in St. Louis at BMW Championship
Tour of Missouri Returns to St. Louis This Fall
Notes
Join the Sports Commission team
Sports Commission
Staff Lineup
Upcoming Events
Partners & Champions
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WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR® GENERAL PUBLIC
TICKET APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MAY 31
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One of basketball's premier events returns to St. Louis when the NCAA Women's Final Four® takes place at Scottrade Center, April 5 & 7, 2009. Fans can apply now to purchase tickets through the NCAA's official online ticket application process. Ticket applications must be submitted no later than 10:59 p.m. (Central time), May 31, 2008. Approximately 6,000 ticket books will be allocated to the general public for the 2009 Women's Final Four. Each ticket applicant may request a maximum of four ticket books per entry. To apply, click here. For more information, click here. The 2009 Women's Final Four will be the third Final Four to take place in St. Louis this decade. St. Louis was home to a memorable Women's Final Four in 2001 featuring Jackie Stiles and the Missouri State Bears. St. Louis hosted the Men's Final Four in 2005. |
ARCH MAT-NESS: NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
A ROUSING SUCCESS
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The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships returned to St. Louis March 20-22, as Iowa took home its 21st team title on the mats at Scottrade Center. The building was buzzing. 94,190 wrestling fans attended the event’s six sessions – good for the third-highest attendance figure in the 78-year history of the Championships, behind the 2000 and 2005 events, both also held in St. Louis. It was the fourth time the Sports Commission and the University of Missouri have hosted the event this decade, and the fifth is right around the corner in 2009. Speaking of which, all-session tickets for the 2009 Championships, March 19-21, are on sale now. To order tickets, call 866-646-8849 (toll free) or 314-241-1888 (in St. Louis); log on to www.ticketmaster.com; or click here for more details. VIP packages, featuring great food and prime seating in the Scottrade Club, are also available. For more information, contact Karli Juenger at 314-206-7388. For the latest on the 2009 Wrestling Championships visit www.stlsports.org/wrestling or NCAA.com. |
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NAIA TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
SPRINT INTO TOWN |
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The NAIA’s finest track and field competitors come to the St. Louis region this week. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville’s Ralph Korte Stadium is the site of the 2008 NAIA Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships May 22-24. The Sports Commission joins St. Louis area institutions Lindenwood University, McKendree University, and Missouri Baptist University as hosts. The event will feature hundreds of athletes from around the country. For more information on the NAIA Championships, click here. |
NCAA DIVISION II BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
COMES TO ST. LOUIS
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The 2008 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship is also coming to the St. Louis metro area this month. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and the University of Missouri-St. Louis host the event at GCS Ballpark in Sauget Ill., home of the Gateway Grizzlies, May 24-31. Tickets, including group tickets and all-tournament passes, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Grizzlies box office at 618-337-3000. Suites and party rooms are also available. Interested parties can call Will Myers at 618-337-3000, ext. 15. For more information on the 2008 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, click here. |
SEE GOLF’S BEST PLAYERS COMPETE
IN ST. LOUIS THIS SEPTEMBER
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The PGA TOUR Playoffs are coming to prestigious Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis Sept. 1-7 for the BMW Championship – the third leg of the Playoffs for the 2008 FedExCup. A premier field of the TOUR’s top 70 golfers to include Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia, will battle it out for the BMW Championship trophy. It’s the TOUR’s first trip to St. Louis since Bellerive hosted the PGA Championship in 1992, and only a limited number of weekly ticket books and hospitality opportunities remain available. For more information, visit www.BMWChampionshipUSA.com or call 847-724-4600.
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HOST CITIES ANNOUNCED FOR 2008 TOUR OF MISSOURI
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After an exceptionally successful inaugural Tour of Missouri in 2007, the Show-Me State will again welcome 120 of the world’s elite cyclists on a 600-mile point-to-point race, to be held Sept. 8-14, 2008. The second edition of the Tour will include seven days of racing and conclude – as it did in 2007 – with a fantastic finish in Downtown St. Louis. More than 60,000 St. Louisans came out to watch George Hincapie and Team Discovery emerge victorious on the streets of St. Louis last year. This summer ’s finale will take place with a similar circuit race on Sunday, Sept. 14. To read more about the 2008 race and its course through Missouri, click here. |
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| The Sports Commission congratulates the Washington University athletics program, which has won three Division III national titles this year. The latest came last week when its men’s tennis team captured its first-ever national championship, adding to titles won by the Bears in women’s volleyball and men’s basketball. Longtime men’s hoops coach Mark Edwards, 477-233 in 27 seasons on the Danforth Campus, celebrated his first championship in March when the Bears defeated No. 2-ranked and defending national champion Amherst College. |
JOIN THE SPORTS COMMISSION TEAM |
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 $250 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 314-992-0686 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. |
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May 22-24, 2008 – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville |
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May 27, 2008 – Boone Valley Golf Club |
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June 5, 2008 – Chase Park Plaza |
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August 30, 2008 – Edward Jones Dome |
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September 1-7, 2008 - Bellerive Country Club |
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September 8-14, 2008 |
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March 19-21, 2009 – Scottrade Center |
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April 5 & 7, 2009 – Scottrade Center |
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May 21-23, 2009 – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville |
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July 14, 2009 – Busch Stadium |
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September 5, 2009 – Edward Jones Dome |
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March 26 & 28, 2010 – Edward Jones Dome |
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September 4, 2010 – Edward Jones Dome |
Gold Partners
The Albrecht Family Charitable Foundation |
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Silver Partners
- American Airlines
- The Boeing Company
- Edward Jones
- FastSigns - Bridgeton
- First Bank
- Huntleigh McGehee
- MasterCard International
- Merrill Lynch
- National City
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- Nestle Purina PetCare Company
- Schnuck Markets, Inc.
- St. Louis Blues
- St. Louis Cardinals
- St. Louis Rams
- TALX Corp.
- U-Gas
- Wells Fargo Bank
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Bronze Partners
- Ameren Corporation
- Ameristar Casino St. Charles
- AT&T
- Bank of America
- Brinkmann Constructors
- Bryan Cave
- The Business Bank of Saint Louis
- Casino Queen Hotel & Casino
- CitiMortgage
- Coca-Cola Enterprises
- Colliers Turley Martin Tucker
- CompManagement/HealthLink
- Document & Network Technologies, Inc.
- Arnold W. and Hazel A. Donald Charitable Fund of the
Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation
- Ernst & Young
- EVS Realty Advisors, Inc.
- Fitness Designs Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab
- Fleischmann’s Yeast
- Fred Weber, Inc.
- FSN Midwest
- Gabriel Group
- Grey Eagle Distributors
- Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc.
- Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark
- Hogan Motor Leasing, Inc.
- Hyatt Regency - St. Louis Riverfront
- Hyatt Regency - St. Louis Union Station
- Kwame Building Group, Inc.
- The Laclede Group
- Laclede’s Landing Merchant’s Association
- Walter Lamkin
- Lucas Sales / Group 4 Materials
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- Luxco
- Major Brands, Inc.
- Marcone
- Marsh
- McEagle Properties
- Scott Meader
- Mercy Health Plans
- Michael J. Milne, M.D., LLC
- Midwest BankCentre
- Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood
- Millennium Hotel St. Louis
- Missouri Athletic Club
- Paric
- Peabody
- PepsiAmericas, Inc.
- Regions Bank
- Renaissance Grand & Suites Hotel
- Sense Corp
- Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel
- Smurfit-Stone
- Sporting News
- St. Louis Area Hotel Association
- St. Louis Business Journal
- St. Louis Front Page
- St. Louis Parking Company
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch / Lee Enterprises
- St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth
- St. Louis Soccer United
- Association
- St. Louis Town Planner
- Stifel Nicolaus
- Switch
- UMB Bank
- US Bank
- Western Construction Group
- World Wide Technology, Inc.
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Civic Partners
2008 Champions
- '62 Sports Group
- Anders Minkler & Diehl LLP
- AON Risk Services
- Armstrong Teasdale LLP
- BFC Enterprises
- BKD, LLP
- Carmody MacDonald P.C.
- Celebrate St. Louis
- Chase Park Plaza
- Chevys Fresh Mex
- City Property Company
- Clayco, Inc.
- Chris' Pancake and Dining
- David W. Preston Photography
- Deloitte & Touche
- Destination St. Louis
- Downtown St. Louis Partnership
- Bernie DuBray
- Edy's Grand Ice Cream
- EFR, Inc.
- Event One LLC
- Fabick CAT
- Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
- Fontbonne University
- Gateway Arch Riverfront
- Gateway Football Conference
- Gateway Grizzlies Baseball LLC
- GenXmex Foods, Inc.
- Goldenberg Heller Antognoli Rowland Short & Gori, P.C.
- Goldman Promotions
- Gray & Associates
- Greater St. Charles CVB
- Hamilton Jewelers, Inc.
- Tripp Hardin - CB Richard Ellis
- Steve Hays
- Heritage Exposition Services
- HOK
- Holmes Murphy
- Husch & Eppenberger, LLC
- Hycel Properties Company
- J. Buck's Restaurant
- The Korte Company
- Lashly & Baer, P.C.
- MAC Sports and Entertainment
- Markwort Sporting Goods Company
- Maryland Heights CVB
- Maryville University
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- Millstone Bangert, Inc.
- Mississippi Lime Company
- Missouri Machinery & Engineering Company
- Mike Moore
- Harry T. Morley
- National Sports Agency
- Nike Golf
- NSI
- John O’Connell
- Joseph B. Pereles
- Paramount Convention Services
- Pilot Air Freight
- Planet Do It
- Polsinelli Shalton Welte Suelthaus PC
- Precision Foods Inc.
- Premier Rentals
- The Private Bank
- ProRehab, PC
- Quest Management Consultants
- Raese Simpson, Inc.
- The Regional Business Council
- Rehab 1 Network
- Jerry Ritter
- Royal Banks of Missouri
- RubinBrown
- Safety National Casualty Corporation
- Sheraton Westport Hotel
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
- SSM Healthcare
- St. Louis Airport Marriott
- St. Louis Community College - Forest Park
- St. Louis Community College - Meramec
- St. Louis Soccer Club
- St. Louis Union Station / Jones Lang LaSalle
- Stan the Man, Inc.
- StudioJMC.com
- Team Central Gymnastic Academy
- THF Realty, Inc.
- Ticketmaster L.L.C.
- University of Missouri - St. Louis
- Vandalia Bus Lines
- Dick Waters
- Webster Fabric
- Welsch, Flatness & Lutz
- The Westin St. Louis
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