SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF GRAND CANYON STATE GAMES

Release Date:
June 16, 2010
Media Contact:
Erik Widmark, (480) 517-9700

SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF GRAND CANYON STATE GAMES

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Southwestern College, a private, not-for-profit Christian college in Phoenix, announced today that it has signed a five-year agreement to be the new title sponsor of the Grand Canyon State Games; a year-long, multi-sport Olympic festival for amateur athletes of all ages and abilities.
The Southwestern College Grand Canyon State Games are organized by the Arizona Sports Council and sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee through the National Congress of State Games. The Games provide a year-round showcase for the talents and aspirations of Arizona’s amateur athletes, and give an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the many attributes the state of Arizona has to offer.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this fantastic relationship with the Grand Canyon State Games to be an integral part of the largest annual sports festival in the country,” said David Barnes, Executive Vice-President of Southwestern College. “The Games mirror a lot of ideals that Southwestern College promotes – sportsmanship, academics and competition – and we think this is a perfect fit for Southwestern College.”
The Southwestern College Grand Canyon State Games is about to kick off its summer schedule, starting with the Summer Games on June 18 that will feature more than 8,000 participants competing in 32 sports over three days. Following that is the Lori Piestewa National Native American Games (July 15-18) which will feature seven sports – baseball, basketball, cross-country, softball, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.
“I believe this partnership will send a message to the community, the state and the nation as to the importance of teamwork with academics and sports,” said Erik Widmark, Executive Director of the Southwestern College Grand Canyon State Games. “Additionally, the shared vision of building world-class athletic facilities will be foremost on our minds as we move forward together.”
The Southwestern College Grand Canyon State Games are in its 18thyear, and has seen more than 374,000 participants over that span. For more information on the Southwestern College Grand Canyon State Games or to register for any of the events, call (480) 517-9700 or go to www.gcsg.org.
Southwestern College is a private, not-for-profit Christian college in Phoenix, Ariz., with rigorous academic standards offering a wide variety of majors and degrees. With the addition of baseball starting in 2010-11, Southwestern College, a NAIA school and NCCAA Division 1 member, will now compete in 10 sports. For more information about Southwestern College, go to www.swcaz.edu.
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