Friday, June 26, 2015 at 8:00am
The World Police & Fire Games are coming to Fairfax County in 2015. Yes that's 2015. Planning ahead is necessary for the 30th Anniversary of this international sporting event.
After beating out numerous major destinations to become a finalist, Fairfax County's "Team Fairfax" made their case before the selection committee on July 30th in Vancouver, Canada - the site of this year's Games. Team Fairfax was made up of representatives from Fairfax County's police, fire and sheriff departments, Fairfax County, Visit Fairfax, the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and others including strong support from the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
"The race among the three finalists was extremely close," says Mike Graham, President of the World Police & Fire Games Federation. "The choice came down to the commitment from the Fairfax bid committee, from the governor down to local business leaders, the world-class facilities that are already in place to host the Games, as well as the passionate dedication to the WPFG of key members of Team Fairfax."
Since first held in 1985, the World Police & Fire Games have continued to grow in terms of attendance and number of participating countries. Today, these Games are a spectacular 10-day international sporting event providing more than 10,000 active and retired police officers, firefighters, and other public safety servants from around the world the opportunity to showcase their athletic excellence in more than 60 sporting events. The proposed dates for the 2015 Games are June 26 - July 5, 2015.
"The 2015 Games in Fairfax County promise to deliver a lifetime of memories with celebrations and festivities worthy of the event's 30th anniversary, which happens to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Fairfax County Police Department," says Bruce Blechl, Executive Director of Team Fairfax, Lieutenant of the Fairfax County Police Department, and five-time WPFG competitor. "To be able to celebrate these anniversaries along with the birthday of America on the 4th of July in the Washington, DC area will be phenomenal."
The benefits to hosting will be significant to the County. Conservative estimates expect an economic impact of $30 - 35 million. "This is an outstanding opportunity for Fairfax County to showcase our exceptional First Responders and the world-class destination that we are" says Michael Frey, Fairfax County Supervisor for Sully District who represented the County on the bid committee.
Says Visit Fairfax President & CEO Barry Biggar, "Our region is incredibly vibrant, with colorful, lively neighborhoods that offer great cuisine and an active nightlife for those seeking fun and entertainment after a hard day of competition, first-class attractions, exceptional air access and the best of all lodging."
Fairfax County Virginia looks forward to welcoming the world to Virginia in 2015 for the World Police & Fire Games.
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