FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Alton, IL – May 17, 2023) Outdoor recreation and sporting events in southwest Illinois were spotlighted at the recent Sports ETA Annual Symposium with the donation of a hand-painted, hand-crafted canoe to the WIN for KC by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau.

Bureau staff members Cory Jobe, President/CEO and Jason Troop Director of Sales and Sports Marketing attended the annual symposium held in Kansas City May 8 - 11. The Bureau partnered with Navarro Canoe Company and St. Louis Sign & Mural to donate the Illinois-made canoe for charity. The canoe was painted on site throughout the four-day symposium.

“Providing an Illinois-made canoe and having it painted live, on-site, was just one way to raise awareness of the Great Rivers & Routes region to sports stakeholders,” Mr. Jobe noted. “Our presence at the this sports industry event was an important way to spread the word that our region is a great place to hold future sporting events.”

The hand-painted canoe raised more than $9,000 in donations throughout the symposium for WIN for KC, an organization dedication to empowering the lives of girls and women through advocating and promoting the lifetime value of sports. The organization provides opportunities for participation, leadership development and recognition of female athletes. It also supports scholarships to offset registration costs for greater access to under-served communities and to increase diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau had more than 40 sports stakeholder appointments throughout the event attended by more than 900 sports events and tourism industry leaders.

-30-

(The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is a certified Destination Marketing Organization serving Madison, Jersey, Calhoun, Macoupin, Montgomery and Greene counties and East St. Louis in St. Clair County. The bureau is dedicated to educating visitors about the region by providing information regarding the area’s history, unique landmarks, recreational opportunities, leisure attractions, special events and scenic marvels.)