THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 6, 1995 TAG: 9501060473
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Dare County will make its best pitch next week to secure the 1996 Babe Ruth Baseball 16-to-18-year-old World Series.
A four-member delegation from the Trenton, N.J.-based youth sports organization will visit the Outer Banks on Jan. 12 to hear the county's proposal to host the national youth sports event.
Babe Ruth officials have narrowed the number of possible World Series sites to two: Dare County and Concord, N.H.
``We're now putting on our full-court press,'' local tournament coordinator Ray Hollowell said Thursday afternoon. ``We're working to get the word out to everyone in the county.''
A key event during the Babe Ruth delegation's four-day visit will be a reception next Friday at First Flight Middle School gymnasium.
``We want all the people in Dare County to come out and show their support for this tournament,'' Hollowell said. The reception is free.
Hollowell said the cost of the preliminary marketing in the effort to obtain the tournament bid is ``minimal,'' with support primarily coming from private sources.
Babe Ruth officials consider a number of factors in selecting a tournament site, Hollowell said, including facilities, a banquet site and local support.
``We've been working for the lastfour years in an effort to upgrade our facilities,'' said Hollowell. ``We've worked in irrigation, illumination, and in building new press facilities at Manteo High School. We've also done work to upgrade other parks in the county. Facilities are very important.''
If Babe Ruth officials decide to hold their 1996 World Series on the Outer Banks, the banquet most probably will be held at a local gymnasium.
``Since Babe Ruth Baseball is generally held in small towns, the pre-tournament banquet is usually held in a school gymnasiums,'' Dare County Manager Terry Wheeler said. ``We feel we have the facilities to handle a large banquet.''
Babe Ruth Baseball houses its players with local ``host families.
``The Babe Ruth organization is `kid oriented,' '' said Hollowell. ``When we hosted the Southeast Regional, we had 75 to 85 host families. It's very important from a social standpoint in that the kids can learn about this area, and we can learn about them. A lot of the host families from the regional tournament have remained in contact with the kids they hosted.''
If Dare County wins its bid to host the series, a $40,000 investment is required. Funds will come from public and private sources. The tournament's projected impact on the local economy is an estimated $1.5 million.
Hollowell said the area has a proven track record in hosting youth sports events. Last summer, Dare County hosted 44 teams in the North Carolina Babe Ruth Softball World Series.
``We first expressed interest in hosting the World Series four years ago,'' Hollowell said. ``We've got a lot of trophies in our case in terms of hosting championships.''
A decision on the World Series is expected within 30 days after the Babe Ruth delegation visits the Outer Banks. The 1996 series will include 10 teams, with squads from Puerto Rico and British Columbia. About 900,000 children participate in Babe Ruth baseball.
The 1996 World Series is set for Aug. 17-24. by CNB