FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Louise Heine
Destination Marketing Director
York County Convention & Visitors Bureau
717-852-9675, ext. 109 or louise@yorkpa.org

Brent Burkey
Communications Specialist
York County Convention & Visitors Bureau
717-852-9675, ext. 103 or bburkey@yorkpa.org


YORK, PA- The Keystone State Games Festival of Sports, Presented By York College of Pennsylvania, is rapidly approaching with opportunities for the York County community to participate.

The 2015 Festival of Sports is July 29-August 2 when thousands of athletes will converge on York County to participate in Pennsylvania's largest amateur sports festival. The event will be held in York County through 2017 and had taken place in the local community for six years through 2010.

This summer's Keystone State Games Festival of Sports kicks off with the Keystone Classic Owen J. Costello Memorial Golf Tournament on Thursday, July 30, at Springwood Golf Club celebrating the life of Owen Costello, who served as CEO of Keystone State Games, Inc. for 32 years and who passed away earlier this year.

Members of the local community are invited to participate as everyone involved with the Keystone State Games remembers a beloved family man, dedicated worker and avowed community steward.

The tournament is captain-and-crew format with four people per team. Registration is $100 per golfer and includes green fees, cart, registration gift, lunch, refreshments and chances for a variety of prizes. All proceeds will support the organization Owen Costello built over more than three decades into Pennsylvania's largest amateur sports festival.

The 2015 Festival of Sports will additionally feature a new Keystone Fun Color Run open to all Saturday, August 1, at John C. Rudy County Park. This event is a five-kilometer, untimed morning race in which participants get covered from head to toe in different paint colors. This event for runners and walkers is limited to 500 participants. The $45 cost per person includes a packet of paint powder and a Keystone Fun Color Run T-Shirt. Anyone 10 years old and younger may participate for free if accompanied by a registered participant.

Information and registration for the run and golf event are available at www.premiersportingevents.com.

This summer's festival also includes an expanded Baseball Showcase for scouts, athletic directors and coaches on Thursday, July 30, at Central York High School.

Previous Keystone State Games baseball players are now in the Major Leagues and even more are playing college baseball at all levels. With an anticipated 160 of the Keystone State's best players all in one place, this summer's Festival of Sports provides a great venue for the next generation of talent to be discovered right here in York County.

Scouts in attendance will receive player profiles, a schedule so that they may follow a player or team, and data compiled during the showcase such as hitter bat speeds and pitcher arm speeds.

These new and expanded features are in addition to the previously announced introduction of the America's Finest Games for all first responders, support staff and spouses. America's Finest Games divisions build upon York County's work hosting the international Can-Am Police-Fire Games last summer.

The Keystone State Games Festival of Sports welcomes competitors from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, Ohio and Washington, D.C. However, baseball, field hockey and ice hockey are only open to Pennsylvania residents. The Keystone State Games are a result of a resolution introduced by Representative Joseph R. Pitts (Chester County) and approved by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1980.

Since its inception, Keystone State Games, Inc. has attracted hundreds of thousands of athletes in various age groups to its events. Keystone State Games, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, was formed in 1983, with the help of former Governor Richard Thornburgh, so the Games would not be solely dependent on government funding. This year will be the 34th Annual Festival of Sports - as well as the first for the America's Finest Games.

York College of Pennsylvania, Presenting Sponsor of the Festival of Sports through 2017, is rolling out the red carpet for athletes with a special website welcoming competitors and by hosting several of the festival's sporting events at its top-tier athletic facilities. For more, visit www.ycp.edu/keystone.

The 2015 Keystone State Games Festival of Sports and America's Finest Games are anticipated to generate more than $10.2 million in total economic benefits for York County this summer. For a list of sports being offered, background on the Keystone State Games, and specific information and eligibility for the America's Finest Games, visit www.premiersportingevents.com.

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Sport York initiative is designed to recruit events and generate additional economic impact in York County. Sport York positions York County as Pennsylvania's Premier Sports Destination, highlighting the area's dynamic facilities and central location on the East Coast. For further information about Sport York, visit www.yorkpa.org/sports.

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Mission is to maximize tourism expenditures and their economic impact in York County, PA, through comprehensive tourism sales and marketing programs. The York County CVB's Vision is for a York County where tourism is recognized for the value of its economic impact and its role in raising the profile of York County as a sought-after destination. For more information on the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau, call 1-888-858-9675 or visit www.yorkpa.org.