“On behalf of our partners, the City of Clermont and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, we are thrilled to have hosted the Major League Fishing General Tire Team Championship in Lake County. Without the support from the Lake County Board of County Commissioners and Tourist Development Council, opportunities like this would not be possible. Events like this, create national exposure and bring attention to the championship fishing in Lake County, as well as enhancing our economic development and impact with anglers, visitors, production crews and staff visiting our communities.” 

- Ryan Ritchie, Director

Discover Lake County, Florida Office of Tourism & Sport

Around The Horn.

• The Bass Pro Shops Championship Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, which featured 27 of the world’s best pro anglers competing as nine 3-man teams for a top prize of $300,000 wrapped production this past weekend in Clermont, Florida. The event, hosted by Lake County, Florida, was shot over seven days and filmed entirely for television broadcast. It was the culmination of the General Tire Team Series season, featuring nine teams of three anglers that had earned their way into the season-ending competition competing for the inaugural Bass Pro Shops Championship.
• GO Sports is honored to be mentioned alongside many of Orlando's prominent organizations in the latest edition of the Orlando Business Journal, which recognized the successful bid for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Marathon as one of their "Big Deals of 2022." If you're a subscriber, check out the full story here.
• The Cure Bowl is more than a game. Played in December each year in Orlando, Florida this NCAA college football bowl game is televised nationally on ESPN. The Cure Bowl is a platform to help raise funds for cancer research. The bowl game has helped to put Orlando at the center of some of the world’s greatest advancements in cancer science.
• A senior football kicker here in Central Florida was selected to play in the 2022 U.S. Army Bowl in Dallas on Dec. 17. Horizon High School held a ceremony on Tuesday for their very own Daniel Porto, as he accepted this prestigious invitation. Only about 100 students get selected for this game.
• First-Year Teachers in Central Florida will be more prepared in the classroom thanks to DeVos Family Foundation Grant. A Gift for Teaching empowers teachers to inspire future leaders by providing educational resources to ensure classrooms and students have the basic academic tools for learning. Now, thanks to a $30,000 donation from the DeVos Family Foundation, as part of their 30 Grants for 30 Years Initiative, more first-year teachers will be able to utilize A Gift for Teaching’s services and be better prepared after getting hired. 
• Orlando's bowl matchups are set! The LSU Tigers and the Purdue Boilermakers will play in the 2023 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on January 2, the Florida State Seminoles will meet the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl on December 29, and the Troy Trojans will take on the UTSA Roadrunners in the Duluth Trading Cure Bowl on December 16.
• The Orlando Solar Bears announced the return of the team’s annual Food Festival, which will take place on Saturday, January 21, 2023 from 4-6:30 p.m. prior to the team’s game that evening against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at the AdventHealth Rink at Amway Center. Game and Food Fest ticket combos start as low as $40.
• Orlando will play host to the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Marathon, USA Track & Field (USATF) announced. Held on February 3, 2024, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon will be the selection event for the team at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with the top three female and male place finishers in the Trials who have met performance standards qualifying.

In The News.

• Thanks to Universal Orlando Foundation grants totaling over $1 million, 30 charitable organizations across Central Florida are making plans to do even more for the community this holiday season and beyond. On Thursday, the foundation awarded a total of $1,035,000 in varying amounts to local organizations advocating for homeless populations, underserved students, LGBTQ+ youth, seriously ill children, and others.
• Winter Park's Main Street district plans to hire its first executive director. Sarah Grafton, board president of the district, told Orlando Business Journal the director is required as part of joining the main street program. The group plans to seek $50,000 per year for three years from the city of Winter Park to help with the executive director role and other expenses, with the first year of funds up for consideration by the Winter Park City Commission on Dec.14.
• Visit Orlando announced the donation of $186,805 to local organizations that support workforce development and create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The donation was made possible raised through Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining. Now in its 17th year, Magical Dining has raised over $2 million for local charities, while showcasing some of Orlando’s best restaurants.
• UCF will award about 6,200 degrees during four commencement ceremonies at Additional Financial Arena Dec. 16 and 17, sending a talent pipeline of enthusiastic, highly skilled graduates into careers that are vital for our region and our state. Nearly one-quarter of this semester’s graduates are first-generation students, and more than half are students who were eligible to receive federal Pell Grants. Earlier this academic year, U.S. News and World Report recognized UCF as a national leader in both innovation and social mobility.
• The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is hosting its Crimes Against Children Conference. The gathering is designed to help law enforcement officers learn the best practices in investigating and solving those crimes. More than 800 members of law enforcement from around the world are set to attend the conference this week.
• Aviation startup Boom Technology says it will power supersonic passenger jets with engines designed by a Florida company better known for making small engines used on drones and cruise missiles. Boom said that Florida Turbine Technologies in Jupiter, or FTT, will design the engines. The company says the plane could be making test flights in 2026 and carrying passengers a few years after that. The company says its 88-seat jet, called Overture, will use four engines, fly up to 1.7 times the speed of sound — about 1,300 mph — and use sustainable aviation fuel.
• The Walt Disney Company officially launched the 2022 Disney Ultimate Toy Drive in support of the Marine Toys for Tots Program. The company said the holiday initiative continues a 75-year tradition of supporting Toys for Tots, and delivering toys, hope and joy to children in need during the holiday season.

Stay Engaged.

• The famous Jack Kazanzas Christmas Star located at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard is the historic feature this month-- it makes sense, right? Bet you didn't know that this famous light display was a collab between two competing department stores? Yep the owners of Ivey's and Dickson & Ives came together in December of 1955 to elevate a yellow, seven-foot star across the avenue, uniting their businesses for the holidays! 
• Crayola Experience presents, Colorful Christmas! Experience the holidays Crayola-style. Help Santa save Christmas as you go on a themed adventure. Plus enjoy some SNOWtastic adventures as you go! All while crafting unique gifts from the heart! It's a holiday hullabaloo with SNOW much to do! 
• Holiday magic awaits the whole family at Central Florida’s favorite holiday festival, Oh, What Fun! Lake Nona. Watch as Lake Nona Town Center transforms into a winter wonderland, known as Peppermint Square, with a calendar full of celebrations and events.
• The nightly snowfall – an annual tradition in Celebration – returns for the 24th year, the community announced. This year’s Now Snowing event, which the community calls Central Florida’s “premier snowing event,” runs through Dec. 31. It also features synthetic ice rinks, community performances and special concert events throughout the season.
• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is adding a new projection mapping show called “Starflake’s Holiday Voyage” to its holiday celebration. The six-minute production will be shown on the exterior of Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, which opened at the Brevard County attraction this year. “Starflake’s Holiday Voyage” works its way through the stars, but it includes recognizable features such as NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building, International Space Station, the Artemis Moon rocket and more starting Dec. 16.
• Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act in Orange County and led by the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, Empowering Good equips local nonprofits with the tools necessary to succeed in the post-pandemic environment. The program assists small grassroots and diverse-led Orange County non-profit organizations in focusing on impact measurement, innovation, financial management, fundraising and risk management. Applications are currently open until Jan. 13, 2023.
• Be amazed and give back this holiday season at Night of a Million Nights, joyous holiday celebration benefiting Give Kids the World Village. Night of a Million Lights was named the "Number One Thing to Do in December in Orlando" by USA Today when it debuted at the charitable resort in 2020, and now, it’s bringing the joy to Margaritaville Resort Orlando through Jan. 1, 2023. See why you’ll want to make this year’s edition part of your holiday season plans.
• Sleigh bells are ringing and Jolly old St. Nicholas is making his way to ICON Park! From now through Dec. 24th, ICON Park will be transformed into a winter wonderland completed with all of your favorite festivities through the Santa Workshop Experience.
• Season’s streamings: Your ultimate guide to this year’s streaming holiday movies from the Orlando Sentinel.
• Florida Residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

The GO Sports team gathered for our annual holiday dinner this week at Francesco's Ristorante and Pizzeria. From our family to yours, we wish you a safe, happy and healthy holiday season!

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel caught up with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer at the annual State of Downtown address hosted by the Downtown Orlando Partnership.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, Senior Director Shalisa Griffin, and Board Member Latria Graham attended the Institute for Sport & Social Justice Giant Steps Awards Gala.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and his wife Sarah Grafton attended the CFHLA downtown hoteliers Holiday Party, pictured here with Robert Agrusa (CFHLA President & CEO) and GO Sports Board Member Jesse Martinez (The Alfond Inn).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Executive VP Jennifer Lastik attended Visit Orlando's Year End Celebration along with Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and many friends and partners in the Greater Orlando community.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel participated in the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation's annual golf tournament fundraiser at Reunion Resort this week, pictured here with Coach Hill and Anthony Bowie. GO Sports was excited to sponsor the Longest Drive holes on both courses!

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel paused for a photo with Orlando City SC's Kelly Hyne and Board Member Dan Pollock (AT&T) at the State of Downtown address.

New Corporate Partner.



BRIGHTLINE TRAINS

Brightline is the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail service in America. The company currently serves Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, with stations in Aventura and Boca Raton opening at the end of 2022 and its Orlando station beginning service in 2023. 

For more information, visit

https://www.gobrightline.com/

https://www.gobrightline.com/orlando

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.



• 10 Ways to Celebrate a Wondrous Holiday Season in Orlando
• Imagine the Possibilities: Unbelievably Real Experiences in Orlando
• Orlando Holiday Events: Surfing Santas, Festivals, Boat Parades, and More!
• Enjoy Delightful Christmas Dining in Orlando