Visitors to pack Springfield in June, July

Those are just some of the people who will be seen around Springfield in the next several weeks while the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, Amateur Athletic Union girls’ tournament, Missouri Association for Career & Technical Education and Missouri Sheriff’s Association are in town.

One of the largest of those groups is the Wally Byam Caravan Club. Club members own Airstream trailers, and about 2,000 of them will be parked in what is known as the “silver city,” a temporary RV park near Exit 84 on Interstate 44.

Not only do the club’s members enjoy a variety of activities when they’re having a rally, they also organize community service projects.

The projects this year include two blood drives, cooking and baking at Ronald McDonald House, two days of work for Habitat for Humanity, entertainment for two senior housing units and time donated to The Kitchen, Victory Mission and Strafford Children’s Home.

And that’s just what the group does while they’re in town. Year-round, they also work on Project Linus, in which blankets are made and donated to charity. Last year, the group donated more than 220 blankets.

Caps also are knitted and donated to the tune of more than 5,000 annually, stuffed animals are collected to donate to police departments for children in need and pop can tabs are saved to donate to a local charity for recycling and fundraising.

On top of all that, the group will have a positive impact on the area’s economy. Airstream owners are affluent, like to shop and enjoy eating out, and the group will be in town June 25-July 5, so local restaurants, retailers and attractions should see dollars rolling in.

Business owners also will see the benefit of about 1,500 basketball players and coaches – with their families in tow – when they’re in town June 24-July 2 for the Amateur Athletic Union Girls Basketball Division I Championship 11 and Under.

And it’s not just Springfield that will benefit.

Games are scheduled at gymnasiums in Springfield, Republic, Nixa, Ozark and Rogersville.

Between 85 and 100 teams with 12 to 15 players and coaches each are expected to participate in the tournament.

It’s estimated that each athlete brings two to five family members to the tournament.

To the Wally Byam and basketball groups, add the American Maine Anjou Association’s 900 attendees in Springfield June 19-25, the Amateur Softball Association Missouri State Championships with 5,000 attendees June 24-26 and the U.S.S. Lapon Shipmates Association Annual Reunion with 400 attendees July 2-6.

Those events are followed by the American Legion State Convention with about 1,000 delegates July 7-10 and the Canon Envirothon International Competition July 18-24 with about 300 participants.

And that’s followed by the largest convention to convene in Springfield each year – the Missouri Association for Career & Technical Education conference – July 24–28. The conference brings about 3,300 people to the city.

July ends with the Missouri Sheriff’s Association convention July 30–Aug. 4 and another 300 delegates.

Then there’s August ...

For a more complete list of groups visiting Springfield, visit the Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site at www.spring

fieldmo.org.

Susan Wade is the public relations manager with the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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