Jack Nicklaus is one of the most well known faces of the golf world, and he is currently scheduled to “visit the 19th hole” with local fans this fall as the West Michigan Sports Commission hosts An Evening with Jack Nicklaus.
Currently scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28, from 5-9 p.m., at the DeVos Place Convention Center’s Steelcase Ballroom, the West Michigan Sports Commission will allow the attendees to not only get to meet Nicklaus “but listen to the great stories of his life, as well as participate in a charity auction,” according to supplied material.
The proceeds of the auction will go to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, American Dunes, and the West Michigan Sports Commission.
With over six decades of professional golf experience, and seemingly countless tournament and championship wins, Nicklaus is one of the greatest golfers to ever live. Not only is he a great golfer, he is also a philanthropist, good-will ambassador as well as an incredibly charitable person, according to supplied material. Nicklaus is involved in numerous children’s hospitals as well as creating several scholarship foundations.
The Meijer State Games of Michigan is celebrating its 10-year anniversary during this year’s Summer Games. To celebrate the milestone, WMSC president Mike Guswiler, will be participating in 10 sports during the Summer Games.
“It’s a cool idea for 10 years, it’s a fun way to celebrate,” said Guswiler. “We’ve never seen someone take on 10 sports, that will be pretty exciting.”
During the first weekend of events Guswiler will be participating in men’s pickleball on Friday, June 14, and coed softball on Saturday, June 15.
Guswiler will participate in 8 sports during the main event weekend. Thursday, June 20, Guswiler will participate in bocce ball. On Friday, June 21, Guswiler will participate in golf and archery. Saturday, June 22,Guswiler will participate in long jump as a part of the Meijer State Games track and field events, skeet shooting and freestyle swimming. On the final day of the State Games main event weekend, Sunday, June 23, Guswiler will participate in bowling and small-bore rifle.
In the last 10 years, more than $28 million was generated in direct visitor spending due to the State Games events.
The Meijer State Games of Michigan main weekend is June 20-23. (WMSC)
Follow Guswiler’s Schedule:
Friday, June 14
Sport: Pickleball Time: 9:30 a.m. Location: Belknap Park, 30 Coldbrook St. NE, Grand Rapids
Saturday, June 15
Sport: Coed Softball Time: 8 a.m. Location: Huff Park, 2399 Ball Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
Thursday, June 20
Sport: Bocce Ball Time: 2 p.m. Location: Noto’s Old World Italian Dining, 6600 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids
Friday, June 21
Sport: Golf Time: 9 a.m. Location: Cedar Chase Golf Club, 7551 17 Mile Rd NE, Cedar Springs
Sport: 3D Archery Time: 3 p.m. Location: Sparta Hunting and Fishing Club, 13218 Long Lake Dr. Sparta
Saturday, June 22
Sport: Track and Field Time: 10 a.m. Location: Comstock Park High School, 150 6 Mile Rd. NE, Comstock Park
Registration is now open for all sports. There is an estimated 8,000+ athletes participating in over 45 sporting events in this year’s Summer Games. For more information about registration, please visit www.stategamesofmichigan.com/summer-games-sports-lineup/. Registration is located on each sports page.
For more information on sponsoring the Meijer State Games of Michigan, visit www.stategamesofmichigan.com/summer-games-sponsors. The Meijer State Games of Michigan sponsors include: Lake Michigan Credit Union, Metro Health, Fox Motors, Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Care Network of Michigan, Subway, Fifth Wheel Freight, Peppino’s, Lacks Enterprises Inc., SIBSCO, LIFE EMS Ambulance, The GR Shop, Heglund-Sova Realty, Inc.
There are still volunteer opportunities available for the Summer Games. For more information on volunteering, please visit www.stategamesofmichigan.com/summer-games-volunteer/. The Meijer State Games of Michigan is a nonprofit organization that relies heavily on the help of willing volunteers and trusted partnerships. Lake Michigan Credit Union is proud supporter of Meijer State Games of Michigan volunteers.
The Detroit Tigers regular season baseball schedule starts this week on the road at Toronto, and the West Michigan Whitecaps will throw out their home first pitch on April 6, but it will take a while for the local baseball frenzy to be in full swing — say about mid-May.
While the 2019 Tigers will likely still be in their rebuilding mode, West Michigan fans can relive a World Series winning season when Alan Trammell, Baseball Hall of Famer and 1984 World Series MVP, along with fellow series veteran Kirk Gibson, will be the featured guests at the 13th Annual West Michigan Sports Commission Luncheon on Tuesday, May 21.
This season’s annual sports must-attend event will be held in downtown Gran Rapids, in the International Ballroom of the JW Marriott Hotel, 235 Louis Campau Promenade NW, starting at noon.
While it has been 35 years since the 1984 Detroit Tigers World Championship season, and six seasons since Michigan’s home team last played in the World Series — alas, a 4-0 sweep by San Francisco Giants in 2012 — the WMSC luncheon will bring the two ’84 championship teammates and close friends back together to share their storied championship season with local fans.
Kirk Gibson (Supplied)
According to supplied information, Gibson has several stories from when he first met Trammel, from Gibson’s draft year in 1978, “through the early ‘80’s as beloved Tigers Coach Sparky Anderson recognized the nucleus of a work-hard, ‘play-hard’ group of all-stars.”
Gibson, who was the commission luncheon’s featured speaker at its 10th annual luncheon, will introduce this year’s featured speaker Trammel.
As with past years, this luncheon serves as a fundraiser as well as a progress report for the West Michigan Sports Commission non-profit organization, which promotes and hosts youth and amateur sporting events in the region “for economic enhancement, healthy living and creating a vibrant community through sport,” according to supplied material.
Reservations can be made by contacting Angie Cena at 616-608-1842 or acena@westmisports.com. A table of eight is $750, and single tickets are $100 per person. Luncheon information is also available online by visiting this link.
The reopening of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum with new interactive exhibits is one reason tourism is up in 2016.
Experience Grand Rapids (EXGR), the area’s official destination marketing organization, has announced that 2016 was another record-breaking year for area hotel room revenue. From 2015 to 2016 hotel business increased 8.7 percent exceeding growth for both Michigan’s and the United States’ hotel room revenue gains of 4.8 percent and 6.8 percent respectively.
“For the seventh consecutive year Kent County hotel room revenue has grown over the prior year,” said Doug Small, President and CEO of Experience Grand Rapids. “Hotel room revenue is a key metric for measuring tourism activity because it is affected by leisure tourism, strong convention attendance, the area’s growing business economy, and the increasing number of sports related events.”
Thanks to the efforts of EXGR’s partners at the West Michigan Sports Commission, the Grand Rapids area has grown as a sport destination. Among more than 80 events on the calendar; 2017 brings USA Cycling’s Fat Bike Nationals in January (a first for Michigan), the 2017 International Softball Congress Men’s World Tournament and PDGA Masters World Championships in August (both new to Grand Rapids), and the USA Weightlifting American Open Series in September.
Grand Rapids’ overall growth as a leisure destination is effected by the rise of the music scene, the continuously expanding craft beer scene, and updates to popular attractions. In 2016, Van Andel Arena had one of its strongest lineups to date with Garth Brooks’ record for most tickets sold for a single engagement and Paul McCartney’s record for gross ticket sales for a single event. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum also re-opened in 2016 with a new interactive exhibit and expansion for education.
“Grand Rapids continues to gain in popularity as a travel destination,” said Janet Korn, Senior Vice President, Experience Grand Rapids. “Allocates like the ‘New York Times: 52 Places to go in 2016’ combined with effective destination marketing led by Experience Grand Rapids focused on the brand assets of art and culture, food and craft beer, family friendly and more recently music and outdoor recreation work in tandem to inspire travel to the area.”
The seven-month exhibit of Ai Weiwei’s at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is giving 2017 a good start in tourism numbers. (Supplied)
Further growth can be attributed to outstanding arts and culture exhibits like the Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion exhibit at Grand Rapids Art Museum which welcomed over 23,000 attendees and ranks it as the sixth most visited exhibit based on average visitors per day, record numbers by the West Michigan Sports Commission, and Gerald R. Ford International Airport set a four-year passenger record in 2016 with a passenger number total of 2,653,630.
Furthermore, the visitor experience remains a focus. The Grand Rapids Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) program, which educates people about the importance of tourism in the community, has trained more than 2,890 individuals and touched more than 540 businesses since it started in August 2013. New marketing programs are also being implemented, such as shuttles to ArtPrize for suburban hotel visitors. Following the first-year success, EXGR will again offer this as a hotel guest service during the weekends throughout ArtPrize.
Looking ahead, Small said that Experience Grand Rapids will be considering the suggestions made in the Destination Asset Study commissioned by Grand Action.
“The forecast for 2017 is “sunny” because of exciting cultural exhibits coming to Kent County including a seven-month exhibition of Ai Weiwei at Frederik Meijer Gardens, sporting events like the National Congress of State Games, and significant conventions such as Grand Aerie Fraternal Order of Eagles, Church of the Brethren and National Environmental Health Association. Combining with our increasing popularity as a cool city due to events such as ArtPrize, GRandJazzFest, and LaughFest and culinary, craft beer, and outdoor activities.”
Kirk Gibson, former baseball star and manager, will share his playing experiences and current challenge with Parkinsons as the featured speaker at the 10th Annual West Michigan Sports Commission Luncheon. The luncheon will be held in the International Ballroom of the JW Marriott Hotel on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at noon.
“We are very excited to have Kirk Gibson as the guest speaker for our 10th Annual Luncheon,” stated Mike Guswiler, President of the West Michigan Sports Commission. “Kirk is beloved in the hearts of so many MSU and Tiger’s fans in the state of Michigan and embodies the excitement, determination and grit that we love as sports enthusiasts. His recent diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease and how he has met it head on to fight this debilitating disease and help find a cure, continues to show that grit and determination he’s known for.”
As a player, Gibson was an outstanding outfielder who batted and threw left-handed. He spent most of his career with the Detroit Tigers but also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Gibson played as the regular right fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1983 to 1987. He helped the Tigers win the 1984 World Series. He became a free agent after the 1985 season, but re-signed with the Tigers and in 1987 helped them to win the American League East by one game over the Blue Jays in an enthralling divisional race. Detroit lost the 1987 American League Championship Series to the eventual World Champion Twins.
Kirk Gibson’s memorable moments to major league baseball fans include the home run hit off a Goose Gossage fastball in Game 5 of the 1984 World Series in old Tiger Stadium and another home run rip off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series in Dodger Stadium.
Following his retirement as a player, he spent five seasons as a television analyst in Detroit, then became a coach for the Tigers in 2003. He became the Diamondbacks’ bench coach in 2007, and was promoted to interim manager in 2010. On October 4, 2010, the Diamondbacks removed the “interim” label, naming Gibson their manager for the 2011 season. Gibson left the role of manager in September of 2014.
The Annual West Michigan Sports Commission Luncheon serves as a fundraiser for the organization heading into the next year. It also acts as a progress report, a reminder, of the success of the organization in promoting and hosting youth and amateur sporting events in the region for economic enhancement, healthy living, and creating vibrant community through sport.
“In the more than nine years since our inception, the WMSC has helped secure or support more than 500 youth and amateur sporting events, which will contribute well over $200 million in direct visitor spending in West Michigan,” said Guswiler. “We want to set a path for future sporting endeavors, yet also celebrate our successes as we have always done at this annual event.”
The luncheon will be held in the international Ballroom of the JW Marriott Hotel, 235 Louis Campau Promenade NW. Reservations can be made by contacting Natalie Rose at (616) 608-1836 or nrose@westmisports.com. A table of eight is $650, and single tickets are $90 per person. Luncheon information is also available online.
As in past years, the West Michigan Sport Commission will reach out to area high school athletic directors and coaches to attend the luncheon as guests of the Meijer Coaches Corner.
Officials with the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) held a campaign kickoff party to premiere the 2017 State Games of America promotional video, Bring Your Game. The video – produced by Antix Creative – release marks the start of a national marketing campaign for the 2017 State Games of America that will be held in Grand Rapids, Mich. August 3-6, 2017.
Grand Rapids was selected by the National Congress of State Games (NCSG) to host the 2017 State Games of America. The NCSG board heard presentations from four cities vying to host the pinnacle of more than 30 individual state game competitions. In addition to Grand Rapids, competing cities included San Diego; Lincoln, NE; and Hampton Roads, VA.
“It was a tough decision by our board, as all cities proved their ability to successfully host these games,” stated Dan Duffy, President of the National Congress of State Games. “Ultimately, the board felt that Grand Rapids offered the most compelling bid based on their successful Meijer State Games of Michigan, quality venues and the many community and local sport partnerships involved in the bid.”
The WMSC, Experience Grand Rapids, and the Meijer State Games of Michigan partnered to bid on and host the State Games of America in 2017. The 2017 State Games of America is expected to bring $5.6 million in direct visitor spending to Grand Rapids.
“Our community continually supports public/private partnerships, which helped form the West Michigan Sports Commission and contributes to our success in promoting sports tourism,” stated Mike Guswiler, President of the WMSC. “This support is also reflected in the success of our Meijer State Games of Michigan. Due, in part, to the strength of the state-level event, the NCSG board trusted our ability to host a successful State Games of America in 2017.”
“I am very excited to begin planning for the 2017 State Games of America,” expressed Eric Engelbarts, Executive Director of the Meijer State Games of Michigan. “The growth and success of the Meijer State Games have prepared us to host these national games. I am thankful for the corporate and sport tournament committee support that have made our state games what they are. We will be ready to host the nation’s athletes in 2017.”
The State Games of America is an Olympic-style event featuring competition between State Games gold, silver and bronze medal winners from across the nation. Currently, 30 states conduct or organize statewide sports festivals known as State Games.
The national games are held biennially, with the 2017 games set for August 3-6. The 2015 State Games of America were held in Lincoln, Nebraska.
