Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 4, 1990 TAG: 9004040388
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The first Virginia CorEast State Games are barely three months away and, as the Games' organizer, Virginia Amateur Sports can't afford to be an unknown.
"People within amateur sports are aware of us and know about the State Games," said Doug Fonder, VAS president and executive director of the Games. "Other than that, for us it's been a year of `What is the State Games?' Our biggest obstacle is who we are. We're still the unknown."
Fonder and his VAS staff, working from their offices in Roanoke's Shenandoah Building, have a couple of reasons to be encouraged about the State Games, which will be held in the Roanoke Valley. They have state funding. In CorEast Savings Bank, the Games have a title sponsor signed on for three years and a $450,000 commitment. And, on the competitive side, the athletes know the best are coming to Roanoke.
"Our main contact with the public has been through the coordinators of our sports throughout the state," Fonder said. "It was our goal to work with the person who made the decision in a particular sport for the state. A big job was getting on the state's schedule in the various sports."
Of the sports originally planned for the State Games in Roanoke, only diving won't be held. The state diving coordinator, Fonder said, has ties to Richmond-based Sports Virginia, which is running its own State Games in the capital city a week before the Roanoke effort. All of the local State Games will be held July 5-8, with the exception of equestrian competition, which is scheduled the previous weekend at the Virginia Horse Center in Rockbridge County.
Putting together a multisports, Olympic-style festival with age-group competition from 8-80 doesn't just happen. It takes time. It also takes volunteers - the State Games here have 9,000 lined up. The logistics can be a nightmare.
But the Games, if they attract 4,000 competitors as expected, could mean $1 million in economic impact for the Roanoke Valley.
Virginia Amateur Sports began its State Games effort by securing $175,000 in state funds from the 1989 General Assembly. That money went toward the $694,000, 17-month start-up budget that will include the '90 State Games. Then, CorEast lent its support.
Financially, the State Games haven't prospered as much since then. Virginia Amateur Sports asked the state for $175,000 to run the '91 Games and $200,000 for the '92 Games. In the state budget cuts by the 1990 General Assembly, VAS was appropriated only $57,000 for each year. Fonder doesn't seem concerned, though.
"We were considered an add-on program, and it was a tight budget," said Fonder, who has perhaps his most important State Games ally in Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton. "Once we put on a show, like we will this summer, then Dick says we'll get the funding we need. We can go back next year and the year after and get it."
The 1991 Virginia CorEast State Games have been tentatively scheduled for June 27-30, with the '92 dates from June 25-28.
Fonder said the State Games would like to secure another $130,000 in corporate sponsorships. Is that possible?
"Nothing is impossible," Fonder said. "But it is going to be very difficult. If we have to scale back some, we will, but we won't do the cutting on the sports. We may have to go without some of the extra things, like flags to hang downtown and other things to dress up the Games.
"If we can get another $50,000 or $60,000, that will be enough to do it. What makes it difficult is that there's a ton of fund raising going on in Roanoke. You have Explore, and TAP [Total Action Against Poverty] burned down and people are committed to that. Then, you add to that the simple education of what the State Games are.
"I think if you asked 25 sports-oriented people what the State Games are, only five to 10 would have some idea. Yes, raising money has been tougher than I thought it would be."
Fonder - best known locally as a youth swimming coach - and his Games director, Bob Hartman, said the Roanoke Valley is fortunate to have varied facilities for the sports, such as the fencing pit at Hollins College.
"There are 10 or 12 sports we have that a lot of people haven't seen before," Fonder said. "But we have such diversified facilities that we can handle them."
Hartman said that VAS' ability to connect with state coordinators and state leaders of the national governing bodies of particular amateur sports will enhance the competition at the Roanoke-based Games.
"A lot of State Games around the country seem to be into trying just to get big numbers," said Hartman, who joined the VAS staff from coaching and sports information work at Roanoke College. "But by filtering through these sports coordinators we're going to have the best competition possible.
"For instance, our golf won't be like `Caddyshack' where you walk up and pay your $40 and play. We'll get the best 40 amateur golfers we can get into the field, and we'll have great competition."
Who can participate? To be eligible to compete, an athlete must be: a state resident at least 30 days before the first day of competition; a student enrolled at an academic institution in Virginia, or a member of the U.S. military or a family member of military personnel stationed at a base in Virginia. All competing athletes must be amateurs as defined by the national governing bodies for their respective sports.
Hartman said the support services to run the games also are in place.
The opening ceremonies are scheduled Friday night, July 6, at Victory Stadium. An elaborate torch run for the Games has been organized by the Telephone Pioneers of America. It begins June 25 on the steps of the Capitol in Richmond.
by CNB