Winter games bring visitors, money to the Ozarks

After leaving a job as an account executive at KOLR-TV, Collins’ love for sports led him to spend two years developing the Missouri Winter Games, an annual Olympic-style event that started in January.

The inaugural games were a rousing success: 1,500 athletes – 4,000 people total – from nine states stayed in 150 hotel rooms and contributed $500,000 to the Springfield economy during two weekends in January and March, Collins said. Those numbers reflect Collins’ calculations based on formulas used by the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Athletes competed for medals in soccer, basketball, bowling, paintball, wrestling, running, gymnastics, racquetball, table tennis, volleyball and swimming.

The 2007 games, to be held in February and March, will add competitive cheerleading, which Collins expects to be a big draw in lieu of soccer. Ice hockey and figure skating could be added in 2008.

“I don’t want it to sound like we’re tooting our own horn or anything, but what we pulled off is unbelievable,” said Collins, who credited 50 volunteers and nine sponsors with making the games possible with a $120,000 budget.

Athletes paid registration fees – basketball teams paid $195, for example – and tickets were sold to basketball and gymnastic events. That money, combined with $25,000 from sponsors, paid for insurance, referees, T-shirts, medals and Collins’ salary.

John Q. Hammons Hotels, Great Southern Bank, CoxHealth, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. and retired City Manager Tom Finnie played instrumental roles. Missouri State University, Springfield Public Schools, Lake Country Soccer, Battlefield Lanes and seven other businesses and organizations donated use of their facilities.

Hammons Hotels, CoxHealth and Great Southern Bank already are on board to be sponsors again in 2007, as Collins hopes to draw 3,000 athletes.

Eventually, he envisions 5,000 athletes traveling to Springfield every winter.

“This thing started from a dream,” he said. “We hope one day it will be recognized nationally as a great sports tradition.”

Missouri Winter Games

Address: P.O. Box 4934, Springfield, MO 65808

Phone: (417) 759-9100

Web site: www.mowintergames.org

2006 southwest Missouri revenues: $120,000