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AUGUST 2008 |
Midland Speed Skating Club Thanks Community for Supporting Olympic Trials Bid, as
U.S. Speedskating Awards Event to Marquette
MIDLAND, MI – In the end, a community-wide appeal was not enough for Midland to
win hosting privileges for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Trials for short track
speedskating.
Despite a valiant effort by the Midland Speed Skating Club, U.S. Speedskating chose
Marquette, MI to host the competition. Local Organizing Committee chairwoman Beth
Bedford expressed disappointment on the news, but thanked everyone who played a part
in putting together a very competitive bid. “We did everything we possibly could to win
this event, and we are extremely grateful for all of the pledges of support the Midland
2010 committee received – it was just unbelievable. Pledges from the Dow Corning
Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company made our bid viable, and the letters of
support, the pledges of in-kind donations and services, and the businesses displaying
signs of support for our bid this spring all combined to make our bid extremely
competitive. I’d especially like to thank all of our enthusiastic volunteers, who worked
extremely hard to bid on this historic event for Mid-Michigan.”
Midland Speed Skating Club President Gregg Hancock added that he is “very proud of
the exceptional effort put forth by the Local Organizing Committee of the Midland Speed
Skating Club to gather community support, to get major pledges for corporate funding,
and to put together a bid package of unsurpassed quality. There is no doubt in my mind
that had Midland been chosen for the Olympic trials, the event would have been second
to none. This speaks to the quality and the character of the individuals in the Midland
Speed Skating Club and I am proud to be associated with this caliber of people."
Despite the loss of the Olympic Trials, the Midland Speed Skating Club still has another
big event to plan for in 2009, as the group will serve as hosts for the 2009 Dow U.S.
National Age Class Short Track Speedskating Championships and American Cup Final.
The competition will take place at the Midland Civic Arena, March 13-15, 2009. For
information on supporting the National Championships through advertising or
sponsorship, contact Sandi from the Midland Speed Skating Club at 631-9810.
For more information, please visit www.MSSCevents.com, email the Midland Speed
Skating Club or contact Beth Bedford at 763-390-6796.
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MAY 2008 |
Midland to host figure
skating regional
For approximately 500 Midwest ice skaters, the road to the 2009 U.S.
Figure Skating Championships starts in Midland.
The
Midland Figure Skating Club will host the 2009 Eastern Great
Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championships at the Midland Civic
Arena from Oct. 10-14. Midland is one of nine cities that have been
selected to host a regional, which will feature skaters from
Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and
Tennessee.
“It’s the beginning of the qualifying competition, which is the way
for the premiere skaters to get to the top,” said Ann Ward, co-chair
of the local organizing committee. “Anyone who has ever gone on to
become a national champion or represented the United States has
started at the regional championship.”
From the regional, winners advance to the Midwestern Sectional
Championships in Sugar Land, Texas, which will take place in
mid-November. The national finals will be in Cleveland, Ohio, in
January 2009.
Aside from the main skating competition, there will also be a basic
skills competition for beginning skaters during the event.
Although this is the first time since 1989 that Midland has hosted a
U.S. regional, the Midland Figure Skating Club holds various events
throughout the year. The club has hosted the Skate Midland
Competition for the past four years, and also co-hosted the Dr.
Porter Synchronized Classic Skating Competition with the Tri-States
Council of Figure Skating Clubs in February.
The success of those events, coupled with the less than
three-year-old civic arena, is why Director of Media Relations Mary
Bassett believes Midland received the bid over other cities. Bassett
said hosting the Eastern Great Lakes Regional could put the Midland
Figure Skating Club on the national scene for figure skating.
“The biggest thing is the opportunity to show the figure skating
community around the country what we can do, because once we host
this the word gets out to other judges about whether we can run a
well-run, pleasant event,” said Bassett, who added the competition
is “enormous” for the club.
Of the approximate 500 skaters, Ward said she expected 10 to 12
members of the Midland Figure Skating Club to compete. She agreed
with Bassett about the potential opportunities hosting the event
could bring.
“Our skaters’ goals of some day going to nationals will become that
much more real,” Ward stated in a press release. “The success of
this competition will enable MFSC to possibly bid on and host one of
the national figure skating competitions.”
Tickets for the Eastern Great Lakes Regional will be $7 per day or
$15 for the entire event. Registration ends Sept. 1 and the event
schedule will be posted on
www.eglregionals2009.org by Oct.1.
Cash Kruth
Midland Daily News, May 12, 2008
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MARCH 2008 |
Midland Hopes to Host Olympic trials
The event could generate an expected $900,000 dollars in revenue for the area.
The city of Midland is competing for the national spotlight. The Midland Speed Skating Club is trying to convince the U.S. Speedskating board to hold the 2010 Olympic trials at the Midland Civic Arena.
Marquette hosted the last Short Track Olympic Trials in 2005 and now Midland is after the same opportunity. The large two week event has the potential to move Mid-Michigan forward.
Beth Bedford, member of the Midland Speed Skating Club and also a board member and the treasurer of the U.S. Speedskating board says Midland has a chance. "But with some big cities putting in a bid," Bedford says. "Midland has to offer more to U.S. Speedskating and more to the athletes."
Bedford says she's heard Cleveland, Marquette and St. Louis are also putting in bids to host the Olympic Trials. But with a club legacy of over 50 years and past U.S. Olympians and medallists from the area like Alex Izykowski, there's hope Midlands reputation will shine through.
Plus in the last three years, four national championships were held at the Midland Civic Arena.
Bedford says it's going to cost around $200,000 to host the event. "Which breaks down to 50 thousand for the cost of US speedskating, about 65 thousand for the athletes and 85,000 to put on the event," Bedford says. "What we need to do is present a whole package and hopefully we get it."
But she says $200,000 is a small number compared to the estimated $900,000 in revenue it will bring to the community.
"If 80% of the money stays in the area, Midland, Bay City, Saginaw," Bedford says. "That's a big boost to the economy in one of the slowest months, which is typically December."
Area businesses are also hoping for the national spotlight. Some have put up encouraging slogans on their outdoor marquees. If interested in making a monetary pledge or donations like gas cards, hotel rooms, rental cars for the event, you can click on the link below.
The U.S Speedskating board will vote on the site for the Olympic trials in April.
Supporters ask the public to please consider writing a letter in support and forwarding this article to anyone and everyone you know who would be willing to do likewise. Support letters are due my Mach 31 and can be sent to:
Midland Speed Skating Club Dreams Big With Bid to Host 2010 Olympic Trials
MIDLAND, MI – The national spotlight could shine bright in Mid-Michigan in December 2009, as the
Midland Speed Skating
Club, (MSSC), is preparing a bid to host the 2010 Olympic Trials for short track speedskating. Hosting the most prestigious national short track competition has been a goal for the club since construction started on the new Midland Civic Arena in 2004, home to an Olympic-sized ice sheet. With a world-class venue in place, a club legacy of over 50 years behind them, and the successful hosting of four national and international competitions since 2005, the club feels they have a fighting chance to bring a piece of the Olympic dream to Midland. MSSC Local Organizing Committee chair Beth Bedford spells out why she wants to bring the Trials home: “Having an event like this in Midland allows the whole community to share in the Olympic aspirations of our local skaters as they compete for a chance to represent their country. It’s also an opportunity to motivate young skaters to see what they can achieve, while bringing economic benefits to the community.”
With the national media and the nation’s top speedskaters together in Midland, Mid-Michigan would reap the many benefits of the national limelight. Unfortunately, MSSC’s all-volunteer Local Organizing Committee faces stiff competition from both bigger cities, and bigger venues. Bedford explains, “We need to compete by offering tangibles and intangibles that our competition can’t match. If we can raise enough pledges to cut U.S. Speedskating’s costs for this event to zero, we might have a chance. If we can offer the athletes, coaches, and officials transportation, food, and lodging, we have a chance. If we can be creative with entertainment and community programs, that helps us too. Anything that makes our bid unique and enables us to host a top-notch event gives us a chance.”
A significant donation pledged from Dow Chemical will insure the viability of the club’s bid, but widespread community support is what Bedford believes will truly make the difference between winning and losing. To meet this goal, the club is asking for either monetary or value-in-kind (VIK) pledges of support from the community to attach to their bid. Especially needed are pledged donations of meals for the officials and athletes, gas cards, hotel rooms, entertainment passes, reception space, gym usage, rental cars, air transportation, and shows of support for the event (e.g. Olympic/speedskating-themed art shows, promotions, or programs). A sample pledge letter, which also outlines donation acknowledgement plans, is available at
the MSSC
website. In addition, the club is asking businesses to place a slogan of support on their signs/marquees on Tuesday, March 18th.
Let the club know of your sign so they can include a photograph of your slogan in the bid package as a show of community support.
The U.S. Speedskating board of directors will decide in April which city will host the next short track Olympic Trials. As home to past Olympians Alex Izykowski (2006 bronze medalist) and Terry McDermott (1964 gold medalist and 1968 silver medalist), the 2010 Olympic Trials would be a continuation of the Olympic dream which is already a part of Mid-Michigan history.
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FEBRUARY 2008 |
Big synchro skating meet coming to Midland
Nearly 600 synchronized skaters will converge on the Midland Civic Arena this Saturday for the Tri-State Synchronized Skating Championships from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Forty-six teams, comprised of skaters from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ontario, will compete at the U.S. Figure Skating-sanctioned event hosted by the
Midland Figure Skating
Club.
"It is the first time that we have had this competition in Midland," said Ann Ward, co-chair of the MFSC competition committee. "It should be very interesting for people to come and see what it is like."
Synchronized skating fields teams of eight to 20 skaters performing intricate maneuvers in unison to music.
"It is like the Ice Capades, but much more difficult and faster," said Ward.
Karen Boswell, a member of the MFSC's Masters team, the Turning Points, enjoys competing in these meets.
"It's fun and a good workout, and you are with other adults who enjoy skating," said Boswell.
A Masters division team is composed of between 12-20 skaters who must be at least 25 years old. A majority of the team must be over 35.
The teams on Saturday will be divided into levels from Beginner to Senior as well as Open and Masters levels. Higher-level teams will be skating after 1:30 p.m.
The judging panels will use the new International Judging System.
"The system is used on higher level teams," said Ward. "It defines the move so that they can be judged more uniformly."
Admission at the door is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for children 12 and under.
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John
Kennett
Midland Daily News, 2/12/2008
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Laura Klier, 13, of Midland, applies makeup to Courtney Lambesis, 12, of Midland, as Jordan Ensz, 11, of Midland, look on before the Midland Figure Skating Club team "Nexus" competes in the pre-juvenile Tri-State Synchronized Skating Competition at the Midland Civic Arena Saturday. "We like to experiment. We have to make it dark so the judges will see it. So, we look like clowns sometimes," Lambesis said. The team took fifth place in its division Saturday.
Alex
Stawinski
Midland Daily News, 2/17/2008
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