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NEWS RELEASE: DE TURF announces 2018 Schedule of Events and Economic Impact on Kent County

By MEDIA@DETURF.COM, 02/07/18, 5:15PM EST

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 7, 2018

DE TURF announces 2018 Schedule of Events and Economic Impact on Kent County

FREDERICA, Del. – Officials from the DE Turf Sports Complex on Wednesday released data showing the extensive economic impact of the facility on Kent County during its first year in operation. A packed 2018 tournament season was also announced. 

Chris Giacomucci, the Complex’s Executive Director, and Board Chairman Bill Strickland told the Greater Kent Committee that the facility welcomed more than 40,000 visitors in 2017, people who also spent money at local hotels, restaurants and other Kent County businesses.  More than 900 teams from 22 states and Canada attended events at the Complex in 2017. In Kent County, teams booked 2,845 hotel rooms across 23 hotel properties, resulting in $333,189 in hotel revenue. DE Turf is expected to pump $18 million into Central Delaware’s economy on an annual basis. 

In 2018, the complex will host 50 events across several different youth and amateur sports including soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, 7 on 7 football and 5k races. Last year, 20 major events were held at the DE Turf Sports Complex.

The 2018 tournament lineup will feature the 2018 US Lacrosse Youth Nationals, to be held August 2- 5, which is expected to attract over 90 teams and thousands of out-of-state visitors to Kent County. The National Lacrosse Classic will also be held at DE Turf from July 16-19 a weeklong showcase and will feature over 2,500 athletes from across the country. Several of the largest tournaments and showcases from 2017 will also return in 2018. 

“We are extremely excited and encouraged by the growth of the facility in terms of number of tournaments, size of events and media exposure across the youth sports industry,” said Giacomucci. “The economic impact for local businesses is helping to create a stronger economy for Kent County. We are definitely on the right track for even more growth.” 

Speaking to the Greater Kent Committee, Giacomucci also announced the dates for the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Tournament Series, which is a series of home-grown youth soccer tournaments held throughout the calendar year at the facility. They will be hosted in partnership with the Coastal Atlantic Futbol Club (CAFC), a youth soccer club that trains at the facility. 

DE TURF will also host a number of high school play days open to schools across the state. “The facility is not open exclusively for travel tournaments. We are also dedicated to offering opportunities for local schools and teams to utilize our fields. In addition to hosting local play days, we offer several high-quality sports programs open to youth of all ages and ability levels in the community,” said Giacomucci.

To see the full schedule of events and tournaments, local businesses and visitors can visit www.deturf.com/tournaments or follow the complex on Facebook and follow @DE_TURF on Twitter. 

For more information on DE TURF Sports Complex youth sports programs, go to www.deturf.com/programs. 


About DE TURF Sports Complex
The award-winning, state-of-the-art DE Turf Complex is the largest all-turf, multi-use sports complex in the Mid-Atlantic. Located in Frederica, Delaware the complex features 12 synthetic turf fields including 5 fields with lights, a championship stadium with bleacher seating, on-site concessions, restrooms and public Wi-Fi. The mission of DE Turf is to serve as an economic engine for central Delaware, providing a first-class sports destination venue that attracts sports tourism to the area, as well as services the local community needs for youth to play, learn, compete and grow. For more information on the facility, visit www.DETurf.com, like DE Turf on Facebook and follow @DE_Turf on Twitter (#DETurf).

CONTACT:
MEDIA@DETURF.COM
302-330-8873 (TURF)
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