“It is always gratifying when an event such as the Women’s Level 9 Eastern Championships chooses to come to our house. Our history with gymnastics and relationship with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission led to this great opportunity for us and we look forward to next Spring and hosting this stellar competition.” 

- Robb Larson, General Manager

Osceola Heritage Park/ASM Global

Around The Horn.

• USA Gymnastics has awarded the 2023 Women’s Development Program Level 9 Eastern Championships to Osceola Heritage Park, scheduled to take place May 4-7, 2023. This event will serve as the culmination of the Women’s Level 9 competitive season and feature the top athletes from across the country who qualified to compete from their respective regional championships.
• Join your fellow Central Florida soccer fans for the biggest tournament of the year at Ace Cafe Orlando for our official World Cup Watch Party presented by Orlando Health, as the United States Men’s National Team takes on England in the group stage. The pregame DJ starts at 1:00 PM and kickoff is at 2:00 PM. The match will be playing on the big screen outside on the lawn, as well as inside Ace Cafe. Bring the whole family out for lawn games, photos with the U.S. Open Cup trophy, various drink specials, and special Club and Country swag giveaways.
• As part of its 30 Grants for 30 Years Initiative, the DeVos family announced seven additional nonprofit honorees from the Central Florida community. Each organization will receive funding from the DeVos Family Foundation and be recognized at an Orlando Magic game. Future recipients will be announced early next year and recognized throughout the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
• Wendell Carter Jr. has been in Orlando for under two years, but in that short time, he’s already made an impact in the community. Carter, along with Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley, Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw, Florida Blue, and Magic staff members distributed 350 Thanksgiving meals to underserved families in the Central Florida area on Tuesday evening.
• UCF continued to climb the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night as Gus Malzahn’s program rose to No. 20 in the country. The jump inside the Top 20 comes after the Knights, who were previously ranked No. 22, defeated the then–No. 17 Tulane Green Wave on the road this past Saturday.
• The National Women’s Soccer League announced that the 2023 NWSL Draft presented by Ally is set for Thursday, January 12 at 6 p.m. ET, and will be held during the United Soccer Coaches Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The NWSL has also opened player registration for the NWSL Draft.
• Orange County Commissioners have agreed to use $500,000 in hotel-tax revenue to aid Florida Citrus Sports’ bid for Camping World Stadium to host a Florida State University and Louisiana State University rematch to open the 2023 college football season. The Tourist Development Tax Sports Incentive Committee recommended bidding for the event, expected to draw 65,000 spectators and generate an economic impact of $31.5 million for the nationally televised game between the two Top 25 powers.
• The Orlando Pride has announced the promotion of Seb Hines to Head Coach, effective immediately, signing a multi-year contract to lead the Pride. In September, Hines earned his USSF A License, which he completed while serving as the team’s interim head coach. At the time of his interim appointment, Hines became the first Black head coach in the NWSL and now makes history as the league’s first-ever Black full-time head coach.
• From Sporting News: Everything you need to know about the XFL Draft.
• 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.
• The Florida Blue Florida Classic is more than just a football game and more than an in-state rivalry. It is now the nation’s largest football game between two Historically Black College/University (HBCU) schools, surpassing the Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern in New Orleans as the top attended game in NCAA Division I-AA. Since its inception in 1978, the game has now seen over 2 million spectators attend game. The game will be at the Camping World Stadium on November 19.
• UFC returns to Orlando for the first time in over four years on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Amway Center with an intriguing welterweight tilt that will see No. 7 ranked contender Stephen Thompson battle Kevin Holland. Heavyweight KO artists collide in the co-main event when No. 4 ranked contender Tai Tuivasa meets No. 5 Sergei Pavlovich.

In The News.

• SeaWorld Orlando has shared its first in-person look at the ride vehicles for its upcoming Pipeline roller coaster. The surf-themed ride was the subject of the first news conference of this year’s IAAPA Expo at Orange County Convention Center on Tuesday. The vehicle on display is the front segment of the train, with a surfboard nose and deep orange markings. Its accents, including the harness for riders, are aqua.
• Volunteers spend about a year organizing and creating one-of-a-kind trees and other holiday decor for the public. It’s all part of the Festival of Trees event. Proceeds from the tree sales support art education programs at the Orlando Museum of Art hosted by Council of 101. More than 40 one-of-a-kind trees are part of the festival and they’re all up for sale. Some trees keep to the Florida theme with painted sea shells and coral, others featuring famous faces like Elvis.
• Full Sail University’s Call of Duty team finished 3^rd out of 85 teams in the Collegiate Call of Duty League Modern Warfare II Launch Open. Competing against teams including Texas A&M, Arizona State, Mississippi State, University of Oregon, and more, Full Sail Armada had an impressive third-place finish. 
• The Orlando Brick Convention is coming to Orlando for the first time next year. At the event, professional LEGO artists from across the country will show off their LEGO creations to fans of all ages. Fans will get the opportunity to meet LEGO celebrities, including the cast from the LEGO Masters TV show. The convention will also feature a Construction Zone where fans can get creative with the thousands of bricks available to them.
• A Central Florida nonprofit is getting results for girls and young women dealing with trauma, through education, counseling, training, and advocacy. Pace Center for Girls started in 1985 and has served more than 40,000 girls since it began. Rosene Johnson, the executive director of Pace Center for Girls Orange, tells that the center uses an evidence-based approach to education and counseling, specific to how girls ages 11-18 learn.
• The dress Marilyn Monroe wore at President John F. Kennedy’s birthday bash in 1962 has returned to Orlando. Dubbed the “Happy Birthday” dress, the sheer, sequined gown is on display at the Ripley Entertainment booth during the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo this week. After the expo, the dress will be moved to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum on International Drive for visitors to see.
• 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 State of Downtown address is hosted by the Downtown Orlando Partnership each year and is attended by hundreds of Central Florida’s most influential stakeholders and downtown supporters. This signature event benefits DOP & the DOP Foundation. The program features networking and a keynote address by City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on December 7.
• Music icon Barry Manilow announced dates for his limited engagement seven-city arena tour—Manilow: Hits 2023. The exclusive run kicks off on January 13 and includes a return visit to Orlando’s Amway Center on Tuesday, January 17. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 18 at 10 a.m. ET.
• The Orange County Mayor’s Toy Drive is celebrating 12 years of giving back to the community. With families recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Ian, this year’s toy drive is more important than ever. You can help make the holiday season merry and bright for those in need by dropping off a new, unwrapped toy in person or by shopping virtually in our online store. All donations benefit Orange County youth and family agencies.
• Jingle Eve is Saturday, November 19 from 6pm until 9pm in neighboring Ivanhoe Village! Enjoy beer gardens, live music, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, a children's holiday village, and special promotions by retailers, restaurants, and bars plus fireworks over Lake Ivanhoe. Jingle Eve is free and open to the public with the exception of a premium “12 Wines of Christmas” walk.
• Sleigh bells are ringing and Jolly old St. Nicholas is making his way to ICON Park! From now through December 24th, ICON Park will be transformed into a winter wonderland completed with all of your favorite festivities through the Santa Workshop Experience.
• SeaWorld Orlando is once again offering Black Friday deals with discounts on entry to the park, food, tours and more. SeaWorld’s Black Friday sale starts Monday and runs through Friday, Nov. 25.
• Season’s streamings: Your ultimate guide to this year’s streaming holiday movies from the Orlando Sentinel.
• Barktoberfest is Orange County Animal Services’ rescue appreciation event that serves to celebrate the partnership between OCAS and the rescue community. Animal Services currently works with more than 80 rescue groups across the state that aid in the recovery and adoption of homeless animals. The event will be at Lake Eola Park on Nov. 20.
• The 2022 State of Osceola County, presented by the Osceola County Board of Commissioners will be hosted at Osceola Heritage Park on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The luncheon will feature a keynote address by Chairman Brandon Arrington, providing an update on the State of the County, looking back at the past year and ahead to what's in the future for our community.
• Walt Disney World is gearing up for the holiday season with the start of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Beginning Nov. 8, Magic Kingdom guests will get to see beloved characters, attraction holiday overlays, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and the nighttime fireworks spectacular Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show.
• Universal Orlando Resort is offering a deal to Florida residents this holiday season. Florida residents who purchase a Park-to-Park ticket will get an extra day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for free! The deal is only available online through Dec. 14, 2022.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

GO Sports Executive Vice President Jennifer Lastik participated in the WISE (Women in Sports + Events) Executive Leadership Institute last week at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Internationally renowned, Orlando-based artist JEFRË has teamed up with the Orlando Magic for a new city edition based retail collection. GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and wife Sarah Grafton attended the launch event, pictured here with JEFRË and Scott Lloyd.

GO Sports Senior Vice President Brent Nelson attended the SKAL International Orlando November Mixer at ICON Park, pictured here with John Stine, Director of Marketing for the Central Florida Hospitality Advisors.

Grand Bohemian Orlando's Bösendorfer Lounge has reopened after an extensive renovation. GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and wife Sarah Grafton attended the re-opening reception. Congrats to GO Sports Board Member and Grand Bohemian General Manager Justin Williams on the completion of this major project!

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