WILLOW GROVE YMCA

Willow Grove YMCA recognized on national level for bringing $7 million event to Montgomery County, Pa.

YMCA National Gymnastics Championship and Invitational awarded a "Champion" designation

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YMCA National Gymnastics Championship and Invitational awarded a "Champion" designation

  • Business

A Montgomery County summer event has caught the eye of a national magazine.

Willow Grove YMCA, in cooperation with Valley Forge Sports, The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, and Villanova University worked to produce a national gymnastics event in June called The YMCA National Gymnastics Championship and Invitational. This hard work paid off when the “Sports Destination Management” magazine recognized them as the 2024 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism.

According to a report by Donna Rovins in The Reporter, the publication is one that has the “largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market.” In total, the named Champions were responsible for boosting more than $1.88 billion into the national economy, said the report. This change is double its prior year’s impact.

Rovins reported that more than 1,900 gymnasts traveled to the area from 81 different YMCA locations from all over the country, making Montgomery County the home to the largest indoor event ever held. An estimated 6,000 room nights and $7 million in economic impact was brough to the county as a result.

For the full report, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com/2024/11/13/ymca-national-gymnastics-championship-and-invitational-receives-national-recognition/.


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Melissa S. Finley

Melissa is a 26-year veteran journalist who has worked for a wide variety of publications over her enjoyable career. A summa cum laude graduate of Penn State University’s College of Communications with a degree in journalism, Finley is a single mother to two teens, Seamus and Ash, her chi The Mighty Quinn, and the family’s two cats, Archimedes and Stinky. She enjoys bringing news to readers far and wide.