Cecil County’s Calvert Regional Park was abuzz last weekend. With back-to-back lacrosse tournaments scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, the recreational facility, managed by Cecil County Parks and Recreation, welcomed more than 10,000 players and fans and over 100 teams to the area.
Most local officials know about the positive physical and mental health benefits parks and recreational facilities provide. But you may not be aware of how properly developed and advertised facilities can support jobs and bring in revenue.
Prime Time Girls Lacrosse, featuring 82 teams from California, Florida, Ohio, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania and the Delmarva region, utilized 11 of the 12 available fields at Calvert Park throughout the day on Saturday. Seven thousand athletes and spectators poured into the facility with the tournament bringing in an estimated $9,000 to the general fund.
Calvert Regional Park in Cecil County (Photo Courtesy: Cecil County)
Calvert Park hosted a 30-team tourney from Top of the Bay Lacrosse, based out of Churchville, Maryland, on Sunday. This event brought in 3,000 visitors from the area including teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland and contributed another $8,700.
“Although exhausting, it was very exciting to bring athletes and their families from all of these states together at Calvert Regional Park. The magnitude of large tournaments like these plays a huge part in putting Cecil County on the map,” explained Clyde Van Dyke, Director of Cecil County Parks and Recreation.
“With more than 10,000 people visiting this weekend, staying in our hotels, dining in our restaurants and shopping in our stores, plus the vendors that we had at the fields, it was just an all-around good weekend for parks and recreation, tourism and our local economy,” Van Dyke added.
MACo’s Winter Conference will feature a session on special events and the multi-layered process that ensures an event not only runs well, but also satisfies safety, health, and environmental concerns. “Let’s Get This Party Started…Wait. I Need a Permit For What?!” is scheduled for Thursday, December 7, from 2pm – 3 pm. See our registration brochure for more details about this and other sessions.
