Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 21, 1994 TAG: 9407220097
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Cup, a fund-raising event sponsored by the Roanoke Symphony Volunteer Association, in previous years has featured regional amateur teams. The organization decided to turn pro this year in an attempt to bolster attendance, said Jan Wilkins, a member of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra board.
"We would like to increase awareness by attracting true sports fans who follow polo," Wilkins said.
The Oct. 1 game between the St. Louis-based Michelob team and the Gone Away Farms team from Potomac, Md., should do just that, said Baird Thompson, who represents the Michelob team.
"Polo is coming to Roanoke in a big way," said Thompson, in town Wednesday to inspect the playing field at Roanoke County's Green Hill Park. Pro games, especially those featuring teams as well-known as the one sponsored by Michelob, often draw fans from considerable distances, he said.
For the $10 price of a general admission ticket, fans will see a whole new game this time around, with faster horses and more action, Thompson said.
"It's like night and day," he said of the difference between professional and amateur competitions. "It's like watching an excellent game vs. a slow-motion game."
The timing of the event also could help boost attendance, Thompson said. The national polo tournament, which signals the end of the regular polo season, will be held in New York just before the Roanoke game, and fans eager to see their favorite players in postseason action may decide to head to Virginia, he said.
The volunteer association typically contributes between $47,000 and $50,000 to the symphony each year, in addition to paying for youth and educational programs, said Lori Gubala, director of development and public relations for the symphony. As in the past, profits from the polo event - which Wilkins predicted would be at least $50,000 - will be included in that gift.
Although a professional game may draw visitors who otherwise would not have come to Roanoke, the game will cost the RSVA more than the amateur matches of the past, Meyer said. She declined to specify the amount the the association is paying to hold the game, but Thompson said such exhibition games typically cost sponsors between $10,000 and $15,000.
In past years, the association made what Meyer called a "donation" - again, an unspecified amount - to the Charlottesville polo club that coordinated the event. But the expected increase in ticket sales should more than compensate for the higher costs, Meyer said.
by CNB