CAL RIPKEN JR., TAMIKA CATCHINGS, JACK SOCK AND THOSE CONNECTED TO 2016’S MOST INSPIRING
MOMENTS OF SPORTSMANSHIP TO BE HONORED IN ST. LOUIS ON NOV. 19
ST. LOUIS – Oct. 27, 2016 – The stars of sportsmanship will be out at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis on Nov. 19. That night, the Musial Awards will celebrate the class acts in sports. Honorees include baseball hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr., women’s basketball star Tamika Catchings, and top-ranked American men’s tennis player Jack Sock. They will be recognized alongside a cast of selfless and humble individuals who, over the past year, displayed extraordinary kindness, compassion, integrity and civility in sports.
The Musial Awards – presented by Maryville University – celebrate the year’s greatest moments of sportsmanship and the biggest names in sports who exemplify class and character. Produced annually by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the National Sportsmanship Foundation, the event is named for Stan “The Man” Musial, a beloved baseball icon who embodied the virtues of sportsmanship. This year’s show takes place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Peabody Opera House in Downtown St. Louis.
Here are the recipients of the 2016 Musial Awards:
WNBA STAR AND 4-TIME GOLD MEDALIST TAMIKA CATCHINGS TO BE HONORED
WITH MUSIAL AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY CHARACTER
TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW FOR SHOW CELEBRATING YEAR’S TOP MOMENTS
OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND CLASS ACTS IN SPORTS
ST. LOUIS – Sept. 19, 2016 – Stan the Man set the standard. The Iron Man lived up to it. For embodying the class, integrity and humility synonymous with Stan Musial, Cal Ripken Jr. is receiving the pinnacle honor for sportsmanship: the Musial Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ripken will accept the honor at this year’s Musial Awards in St. Louis on Saturday, Nov. 19. He will be recognized alongside individuals from around the country responsible for extraordinary acts of sportsmanship – including Tamika Catchings, one of women’s basketball’s most prolific players and greatest ambassadors. Catchings is receiving the event’s other special honor, the Musial Award for Extraordinary Character.
INAUGURAL RUN BRINGS AREA BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYEES TOGETHER
TO CELEBRATE CAMARADERIE AND LIVING A HEALTHY, ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
ST. LOUIS – Sept. 15, 2016 – Over 120 St. Louis area businesses and 2,000 participants will take part in the inaugural Biz Dash 5K tonight at Ballpark Village. Billed as St. Louis’ Biggest Office Party, the new event promotes health and wellness in the workplace while building team camaraderie and an evening out after work. The event is produced by the St. Louis Sports Commission.
“We are really excited about the level of participation and engagement in the first year of the Biz Dash,” said Sports Commission President Frank Viverito. “It’s a great wellness team building event and I can promise everyone will have a great time mingling and networking.”
The evening features the 5K race, the world-famous Dr. Zhivegas on the First Bank stage in the World Wide Technology Team Village, tailgating games and activities during the post-race party, and much more.
Industry category winners along with the overall male and female winners will receive awards – as will the top finishers of the HBM Holdings CEO Challenge. Company creativity will be showcased in the
t-shirt design contest.
The first-year event sold out of company hospitality tents. Participants who do not have a tent or catered hospitality will be able to purchase food and beverages in the World Wide Technology Team Village.
For more information on the Biz Dash, visit stlbizdash.com.
INITIATIVE IS PART OF ST. LOUIS SPORTS COMMISSION’S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE REGION’S OLYMPIC LEGACY
ST. LOUIS – Aug. 3, 2016 – With the 2016 Summer Games about to get underway, the birthplace of the Olympics in North America is extending its best wishes to its new South American counterpart. Billboards have gone up in the St. Louis area with the message: “Good luck, Rio! From North America’s First Olympic Host City to South America’s.
In 1904, St. Louis hosted the third Olympiad and became the first city in North America to host the Olympics. Now, 112 years later, the Games are making their debut in South America as Rio de Janeiro serves as host. The billboards highlight that historical connection.
The “good luck” message appears on two digital billboards in St. Louis. One is located near Downtown on Interstate 64, east of Jefferson Avenue, visible heading west. The other billboard is near Lambert Airport on Interstate 170, north of St. Charles Rock Road, visible heading south. The artwork for the billboards appears at the end of this news release.
EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS – July 25, 2016 – “Thanks to the City of Edwardsville, more than 20 businesses, and SIUE, all of whom have contributed nearly $30,000 in cash and services, the American Legion National Baseball Tournament is shaping up to be a huge success,” exclaimed Ron Tanner of Confluence Business Advisors, host committee member, and sponsor. “The commitment from each and every business goes beyond the sponsorship. We have an opportunity to impact lives, honor our military, and lift communities. Players can expect to take home an experience of a lifetime.”
This prestigious tournament is one of eight regional sites from which the champions will advance to the American Legion World Series (ALWS) to be held in Shelby, NC and televised on ESPNU. SIU at Edwardsville will showcase some the best amateur baseball talent anywhere and that attracts the attention of major league and college scouts. The players, from 6 Midwestern states, will arrive in town on August 2nd to participate in the Great Lakes Regional. For the better part of a week, Wednesday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 7th, SIUE will play host to this national event.
MARKET STREET RENAMED GOLD MEDAL WAY
ST. LOUIS – June 14, 2016 – The 2016 Men’s U.S. Olympic Trials and Women’s P&G Gymnastics Championships in St. Louis are just over a week away. In anticipation of St. Louis being on the Road to Rio, Market Street has been named “Gold Medal Way.” You can find the “Gold Medal Way” street sign at the corner of 10th and Market streets in Downtown St. Louis.
And there are more signs that the area will soon be hosting America’s top gymnasts: Street pole banners promoting the event are up throughout Downtown, and a giant 100’ x 25’ banner is now displayed at the top of the Wells Fargo Advisors building at Market Street and Jefferson Avenue. The banner, which faces east and can be seen from throughout Downtown, features three-time world all-around champion Simone Biles. The gymnast, who has also won the last three all-around U.S. national championships, will defend her titles as part of the four-day competition taking place at Chaifetz Arena June 23-26.
In addition to the promotional signage, organizers are also unveiling the lineup of exciting fan events that will take place around the competition. The following is an overview of the fan activities available during the Men’s Trials and Women’s P&G Championships in St. Louis:
ORGANIZATION AWARDS $15,000 TO THREE AREA STUDENTS FOR EXEMPLIFYING CLASS AND CHARACTER ON THE PLAYING FIELD
ST. LOUIS – May 24, 2016 – Nick Alexander, Leeann Graff and Rolando Merriweather are the recipients of the 2016 Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded by the St. Louis Sports Commission’s young professionals group – the Sports Commission Associates – and recognizes graduating high school seniors from the region who embody outstanding sportsmanship. The three students were selected from more than 60 nominations.
Alexander received the top scholarship award of $10,000 in recognition of the class, humility and compassion that were hallmarks of his swimming career at Vianney High School. He will attend the University of Missouri. Graff and Merriweather each received scholarship awards of $2,500. Graff graduates this week from Pattonville High School and is enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University. Merriweather recently graduated from Cardinal Ritter College Prep and will continue his education at Missouri University of Science & Technology.
Bios highlighting all three scholarship recipients and the reasons for their selection appear later in this news release. Their photos are available at http://sportsmanship.org/stl-programs/sportsmanship-scholarship/.
The Sports Commission Associates created the Sportsmanship Scholarship in 2009 to recognize and reward local high school seniors for their integrity, civility, selflessness and compassion in athletic competition. The Associates have since awarded $60,000 to 23 college-bound students. The scholarship program supports the mission of the Sports Commission’s affiliated St. Louis Sports Foundation, which celebrates and elevates sportsmanship in the community. Candidates are evaluated strictly on their approach, character and respect for others on the playing field – athletic performance does not factor in the selection – making the scholarship unique.
ST. LOUIS – May 18, 2016 – Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin is visiting St. Louis to promote the upcoming 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Gymnastics and P&G Gymnastics Championships for women’s and junior men’s gymnastics. Scheduled for June 23-26, the event will be held at Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Arena. While in town, Liukin will announce details of the Fan Fest that will take place connected to the Trials and Championships. She will also throw out the first pitch at tonight’s Cardinals-Rockies game as well as meet with local media during her stay.
Scheduled for June 23-26, the Fan Fest for the men’s Trials and P&G Championships will take on a Rio theme, as the Brazilian city hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics. Outside Chaifetz Arena, there will be a beach and palm trees, as well as music, autographs, food, face painting, and other fun activities along with the opportunity to buy merchandise. In addition, hundreds of children ages 7-13 are expected to participate in an Olympic Day celebration, followed by an opening ceremony on June 23 at 11:30 a.m. More information on the Fan Fest and a detailed schedule will be released soon.
Tickets for the Trials and Championships may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, and at Ticketmaster outlets and the Chaifetz Arena Box Office. For more information, visit stlouis2016.com.
Single-session tickets are on sale for every session, with prices depending on session and seat location. All prices are subject to applicable fees. All times are Central.
ST. LOUIS – April 28, 2016 – Single-session tickets for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Gymnastics and P&G Gymnastics Championships for women’s and junior men’s gymnastics go on sale tomorrow (April 29) at 10 a.m. Central. Scheduled for June 23-26, both events will be held at Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Arena, which hosted the 2012 men’s and women’s national championships.
Single-session tickets are on sale for every session, with prices depending on session and seat location. All prices are subject to applicable fees. All times are Central.
June 23
1 p.m. P&G Championships – Junior Men $10 – $30
7 p.m. Men’s Olympic Trials $20 – $70
June 24
1 p.m. P&G Championships – Junior Women $25 – $40
7:30 p.m. P&G Championships – Senior Women $40 – $95
June 25
1 p.m. P&G Championships – Junior Men $15 – $35
7 p.m. Men’s Olympic Trials $25 – $75
June 26
1 p.m. P&G Championships – Junior Women $15 – $35
7 p.m. P&G Championships – Senior Women $45 – $105
PROGRAM NAMED “LOCALLY CREATED EVENT OF THE YEAR”
BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPORTS COMMISSIONS
ST. LOUIS – April 8, 2016 – The St. Louis-based Musial Awards received a prestigious award of its own this week. The National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) recognized the Musial Awards as the Locally Created Event of the Year. The award was presented to the St. Louis Sports Commission at the NASC’s annual Sports Event Symposium in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Sports Commission created and produces the Musial Awards, which honor Stan Musial’s legacy by celebrating the greatest moments and stories of sportsmanship in North America.
Each year at the Sports Event Symposium, the NASC recognizes outstanding achievements of its members through its awards program. The Locally Created Event of the Year award goes to an active member of the organization with the most outstanding locally created event or program. A panel of association members judges the nominations and selects the winner. With 750 member organizations representing more than 350 cities, the NASC is the leading trade organization for the sports tourism industry.