5/21/2009 - PIAA Selects Hershey Entertainment & Resorts for Team and Individual Wrestling Championships

Three Year Agreement Means Economic Impact for Host Region

(HERSHEY, PA) — The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA) officials today announced that Hershey Entertainment & Resorts was selected to host both PIAA Team and Individual State Wrestling Championships.

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) officials confirmed Giant Center in Hershey would be the main event site for the PIAA Team and Individual Wrestling Championships to be held in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

The Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau and HE&R worked in collaboration to develop the highly competitive bid that resulted in the region keeping both wrestling events in Hershey.

"We could not be more excited to receive the tremendous news regarding the decision to have Hershey, once again, host the PIAA Wrestling Championships," said Ted Kleisner, President and CEO of HE&R. "We are extremely proud of the long and historic relationship between the PIAA Championships and Hershey. Our goal is to provide an exceptional experience for the tremendous student athletes and their families who work incredibly hard to arrive at a championship game. We are sincerely grateful to the Hershey Harrisburg Visitors Bureau for their critical partnership and support during this process, which helped to keep these Championships games in Central Pennsylvania. "

"The Hershey Harrisburg region being selected to host these prestigious championship events creates a great sense of local pride and will generate an estimated economic impact of $12 million for our region over the next three years," said Mary Smith, President of the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. "This decision by the PIAA committee also speaks volumes of our region's central location, our affordability, and our world-class event facilities like the Giant Center in Hershey."

The dates for these championships are as follows:

Team Wrestling
Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11, 2012

Individual Wrestling
Thursday, March 11; Friday, March 12; and Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, March 10; Friday, March 11; and Saturday, March 12, 2011
Thursday, March 8; Friday, March 9; and Saturday, March 10, 2012

To find out more information about HE&R, visit HersheyPA.com.

Visit HersheyHarrisburg.org for more information on the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. Media can contact Rick Dunlap, Director of Communications at Rick@HersheyHarrisburg.org or call 717-231-2992.

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