Standing in front of the Gorillatron at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, David Mize, executive director for the Kansas Shrine Bowl, announced during a Feb. 18 press conference that the game would return to PSU in 2010. While having the annual game in Pittsburg benefits the local economy, the event serves as a major fund raiser for the Shriners Hospital for Children with all proceeds from the event benefitting the hospital.  Don Wilkinson/JBJ

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Dave Mize, executive director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Game, announced Feb. 18 during a press conference at Carnie Smith Stadium, that Pittsburg State University, the City of Pittsburg and the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau will host the 2010 Kansas Shrine Bowl.

The 37th edition of the Kansas Shrine Bowl will be played on July 31, 2010. The 2010 Kansas Shrine Bowl will mark the third time in the 37-year history of the event the all-star game has been played at Carnie Smith Stadium with Pittsburg serving as the host in 2002 and 2006.

"It has been the goal of the Crawford County CVB to secure the 2010 Kansas Shrine Bowl since the conclusion of the 2006 game," said Crawford County CVB director Craig Hull. "As the premier football event in Kansas, it is an honor for Crawford County to host an event of such magnitude."

"There is no doubt that the Pittsburg community and businesses get behind football," said Mize. Mize reported that the entire Kansas Shrine Bowl Board of Directors looked forward to returning to Pittsburg. "The cooperation and support from the university, the city, the local Shriners, the citizens, and the business community is difficult to match anywhere else in Kansas."

The Kansas Shrine Bowl and supporting events serve as a major fundraiser for the Shriners Hospitals for Children with all proceeds from the event benefiting the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Other events held in conjunction with the Kansas Shrine Bowl include an arts and crafts show, 5K and one mile fun run featuring 60 all-star cross country runners from across Kansas, a Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp and performances, a Kids Fair, a High School Football Combine and Clinic and the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Cheer Clinic.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl will have a sizeable impact on Southeast Kansas businesses. Pam Anderson, Pittsburg city mayor, is anxious about the opportunities.

"We love having the Shriners Bowl the few times we've had it already," Anderson said. "It's always a great time. The Shriners are very hospitable people. They bring a lot of excitement to the community and a lot of out of town guests, so it really helps our restaurants and shopping centers while they're here."

Hull anticipates the impact on the entire Southeast Kansas economy.

"When you look at our proposal, we have hotel room blocks in Parsons, Fort Scott and Pittsburg," Hull said. "Hopefully the economic impact of this one major event will spread throughout Southeast Kansas.

"Not only are people coming here and staying in the community, they're going to have to travel through those communities to get to the game. They're going to be stopping there buying gas, eating meals, visiting a tourist attraction, whatever it may be. That's what we're hoping for."

The event wouldn't have been possible without regional cooperation.

"We had to reach out to our Southeast Kansas partners in order to complete the proposal, because we needed them," Hull said. "Everybody in southeast Kansas has got their own little niche that they market to, but the key thing is that we all work together to market the state with what we've got. We play to our strengths."

Referencing regional events, Hull stated, "You maintain them. You do them at a championship level. Now, people say 'we want a piece of that. We want to come to Crawford County. We want you to host our championship event.'"

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a one-of-a-kind international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to the age of 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment at no charge – regardless of financial need. To date, the Kansas Shrine Bowl has generated over $2.25 million for the Hospitals and the Kansas kids who are accepted there for treatment.

Also during the press conference, Hull presented the new Crawford County CVB Visitors Guide and launched the new Crawford County CVB Web site:(www.visitcrawfordcounty.com).

The new guide is a 50-page, 15,000-piece full-color publication featuring all accommodations, dining options, tourist attractions, recreation destinations and much more. The project was completed in cooperation with Pittcraft Printing Inc. of Pittsburg.

"Pittcraft Printing is the epitome of professionalism when it comes to producing a project as detailed as the new visitors guide," said Hull. "The end result is a first-class primary distribution piece which will be utilized to fulfill requests for travel and tourism information to Crawford County, distributed at tradeshows and used to sell potential tourists on visiting Crawford County."

The new guide features 129 full-color photos and is the first undated primary distribution piece created by the Crawford County CVB.

"With more travel plans being made online, the concept was to leave this publication undated with the intention to run reprints as demand dictates," Hull said.

The Crawford County CVB, working with Sunrise Media Group of Joplin, Mo., officially launched the new Web site, which was displayed on the Gorillatron during the press conference.

Sunnrise Media made it possible for the Crawford County CVB to maintain a consistent marketing message where the visitors guide and the website work hand in hand," Hull said. "Today, 95 percent of potential tourists make travel decisions online and it was imperative the Crawford County CVB improve and increase its web presence. Thanks to Sunrise Media, we are now capable of meeting this objective."