FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2005
CONTACT: Justine Mitchell, Public Relations Manager, (561) 233-3189, jmitchell@palmbeachsports.com

Upcoming Palm Beach County Sports Commission Supported Events

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - The Palm Beach County Sports Commission promotes and markets Palm Beach County as a sports destination and brings sporting events and activities to the County, the following highlights events scheduled for October.

CycleFest, October 1-2

The Lake Worth Criterium takes place Saturday, October 1 with races running all day beginning 12 noon on the FAST Criterium course in beautiful downtown Lake Worth.  The course is flat and challenging as it winds around the downtown streets.  The amateurs will warm up the course all day Saturday.  The Pro's will burn it up all evening!  Watch the excitement as the best Pro racers in Florida attack the FAST Criterium course in beautiful downtown Lake Worth.  The Category Pro 1-2 race is the Bill Bone Grand Prix and is the feature race of the day, starting at 6:45 p.m.  Start/Finish line is in front of Brogues Restaurant on the corner of Lake and "K" St.  The Sunday Road Races take place in western Palm Beach County with start times beginning at 8 a.m. and running throughout the day.  Complete race details, including schedules, registration and directions are available at www.cyclefest.org.

CycleFest, Inc. is a volunteer organization formed for the express purpose of organizing and producing an annual bicycle festival in Palm Beach County, Florida.  This festival is known as CycleFest and takes place each fall (normally October).  CycleFest consists of (but is not limited to) bicycle races, tours, safety expositions, family activities and entertainment designed to promote bicycling safety, education and the use of the bicycle as a recreational sport and transportation in the area.  The organization is funded by donations and sponsorship from individuals and business.  More than 400 hotel room nights are anticipated from this year’s event.

Perfect Game World Wood Bat Championships, October 27-30, Roger Dean Stadium 

The 2005 Perfect Game (PG) World Wood Bat Championship, returns to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter Florida this year after a one year hiatus in Fort Myers.  The tournament takes place October 27-30 and will once again have the most high school talent to ever congregate in one place. The top high school pick of the past four MLB drafts have come out of this tournament. This includes the past three players selected number one overall.  Here are some quick facts on baseball’s largest scouting event:

• The playing field will include 80 teams.

• Competing players and teams represent 24 states plus the Dominican Republic, Canada and Puerto Rico.
• More then 80 percent of the top 200 high school players in the nation are scheduled to attend. 
• More than 600 scouts and coaches visiting.
• Over 2,000 hotel room nights anticipated.

For complete Perfect Game World Wood Bat Championships details, including a list of the 80 team field, please visit www.perfectgame.org.

Please visit www.palmbeachsports.com for information on upcoming Palm Beach County sporting events, the following highlights one of the County’s largest sporting events.

USA Field Hockey National Festival, November 24-27, Palm Beach Polo

Preparations are in full swing for the 220-team national field hockey championships hosted at Palm Beach Polo for the seventh year this Thanksgiving. Team entries and rosters are complete as 4,000 individuals from all over the United States prepare to travel to the annual tournament to determine the best of the best in this sport. Over 35 area hotels are booked solid, with more than 11,000 room nights and an estimated economic impact of $3 million brought into the County in 2004.

About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is committed to enhancing the quality of life through sports. The organization’s mission is to “put heads in beds.”  Last year, the events supported by the Commission were responsible for thousands of sports visitors to Palm Beach County – sleeping in our hotels, using our facilities, enjoying our attractions and eating in our restaurants – over 110,000 room nights last year alone!  The Commission is able to achieve these results through an active grant program, as well as through corporate partnerships and local memberships with businesses.

For further information please visit www.palmbeachsports.com or contact Justine Mitchell at (561) 233-3189 or jmitchell@palmbeachsports.com.

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