This October, well-known annual sporting events, including the 29th annual Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series and the 2017 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival – River Romp, are returning to Lee County. October events are anticipated to attract new sports visitors to the region, while providing a range of activities for local sports enthusiasts to enjoy.
First on the docket for October is one of the region’s long-standing events, the annual Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series, which will bring baseball players from around the world to Lee County from Oct. 21 to Nov. 18. Over the course of the four-week tournament, more than 240 teams of adult, amateur baseball players will compete within seven divisions, taking the fields in five Lee County sports complexes, including Terry Park, City of Palms Park, JetBlue Park, the Lee County Player Development Complex and the CenturyLink Sports Complex. One of four Roy Hobbs events held in Fort Myers annually, last year’s Roy Hobbs World Series had a direct economic impact of more than $8 million for Lee County over the course of the tournament. Hosted in Lee County for the past 25 years, Roy Hobbs’ 29th World Series will feature amateur player divisions for men ages 30 and up, with divisions up to ages 75 and older. For more information, visit www.royhobbs.com/world-series.
Offering competitions by both land and sea, sporting events in October will meet a variety of interests with a sailing festival next on the calendar. The 2017 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival – River Romp will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22, at North Shore Park, 13001 N. Cleveland Ave., North Fort Myers. Now in its 22nd year, the River Romp is presented by Edison Sailing Center in collaboration with US Sailing, and will feature approximately 250 sailors ages 8 to 18, with some events up to age 21, competing in Laser, Radial, Laser 4.7 and Optimist classes. Last year’s event generated approximately 500 hotel room nights and $150,000 in direct economic impact. Visit www.edisonsailingcenter.org/river-romp to learn more.
About Lee County Sports Development
Lee County Sports Development was created in 2003 to meet the growing demand for sports development in Lee County, and is recognized by the Florida Sports Foundation as one of the state’s 25 Regional Sports Commissions. The Lee County Sports Development office leads the recruitment and implementation of amateur and professional sports events and activities in Lee County, with the goal of providing economic impact to Lee County. Through local partnerships with Lee County Parks & Recreation and others, the Lee County Sports Development office provides services designed to address the needs of local, national and international sports entities including housing, access to venues, event management, transportation assistance, event promotion, marketing and local sponsorship opportunities. For more information, call 239-533-5273 or visit www.leegov.com/sports.