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AAU FLORIDA GYMNASTICS SELECTS

CHARLOTTE COUNTY FOR FALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands, Fla. (Aug. 03, 2011) – Gymnasts from across Florida will convene at the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center in Punta Gorda, Fla., for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Gymnastics Fall State Championships on December 10 and 11, 2011. Five hundred to 700 female athletes between the ages of 4 and 18 are anticipated to compete during the two-day championships.

Soon after its opening, the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center hosted the AAU Gymnastics Fall State Championships in December 2008. That event attracted approximately 600 female athletes who brought with them about 1,800 family members to Charlotte County. The weekend event generated an estimated $342,000 in direct expenditures.

“We were pleased with the facility and attendance during the AAU Gymnastics Fall State Championships in December 2008 and decided it was time to bring the event back to Charlotte County,” said Kathy Steunkel, co-founder of Horizon Gymnastics & Dance Academy in Port Charlotte and District Chair for Florida AAU Gymnastics.

Steunkel worked with Sean Doherty, Sales and Sports Marketing Manager for the Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau, to land the event for the 45,000 square-foot event and conference center.

“When Charlotte County residents bring state, regional and national sporting events, meetings and conferences home, they are making a positive impact on the local economy through direct and indirect expenditures and introducing event delegates to a new vacation destination,” said Doherty.

Residents who want to bring their meeting or event home to Charlotte County can email Sean Doherty, Sales & Sports Marketing Manager, at sean.doherty@charlottefl.com or visit www.CharlotteHarborMeetings.com and select the “Bring Your Meeting Home” icon.

Horizon Gymnastics & Dance Academy of Port Charlotte is the host club for the event and can be contacted at (941) 627-5342. For updated schedule information on the AAU Gymnastics Fall State Championships, visit the AAU Florida Gymnastics Web site at www.teamfloridagymnastics.net.

About AAU
The AAU was founded in 1888 to foster amateur athletics among young men and women. It is one of the largest non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. The multi-sport organization is comprised of more than 500,000 athletes in 34 sports programs and 250 national championships.

About Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands

Located halfway between Tampa and Naples on the Southwest Florida Gulf coast, Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands is a charming collection of nine coastal communities surrounding the state’s second largest harbor. Florida’s premier year-round eco-tourism destination, Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands offers a pristine unspoiled beauty that has served as the backdrop for seven major feature films as well as countless memorable vacations. A haven for outdoor enthusiasts, Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands has been named to SAIL magazine’s “10 Greatest Places to Sail in the United States,” ranked by Golf Digest as “Third Best Place to Live and Play Golf in America,” and rated by MONEY magazine as one of the “Best Places to Live in the South.” The city of Punta Gorda was named in 2009 as one of “Top Ten Places to Retire Healthy” by U.S. News & World Report. Englewood, Fla. was just named as #2 of the Top Ten emerging travel destinations in the U.S. by TripAdvisor.com.

For information about area events, activities and attractions, contact the Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau, 18501 Murdock Circle, Suite 502, Port Charlotte, FL 33948; 941-743-1900, or call toll free at 1-800-652-6090 for a free Visitor’s Guide; or visit the website at www.CharlotteHarborTravel.com.

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Contacts:

Media Contacts:
Horizons Gymnastics & Dance Academy: Kathy Steunkel, (941) 457-6131or teamflorida@comcast.net.

Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau: Jennifer Huber, Tourism Public Relations Manager, (941) 743-1900, Jennifer.Huber@charlottefl.com.

Charlotte Harbor Visitor

& Convention Bureau

18501 Murdock Circle, Suite 502

Port Charlotte, FL 33948

941-743-1900, FAX: 941-743-2245

www.CharlotteHarborTravel.com

Jennifer.Huber@CharlotteFL.com