Sarasota News Leader
August 9 & 16, 2013
Page 24
Reached in Reid's office that same afternoon,
Paul Blackketter, president of the not-for-profit SunCoast Aquatic Nature Center Association (SANCA) — which manages Benderson
Park events — told the News Leader, "The
recommendation means a lot," pointing out
that FISA "is a very, very professional organization" that undertakes a thorough vetting
process before making any decision. "We're
pretty proud," Blackketter added as an understatement.
Haley and Blackketter told the Sarasota County Commission the event could have a regional economic impact of $24 million. The championships were last held in the United States
in 1994 in Indianapolis.
According to county and SANCA estimates, the
2017 World Rowing Championships would be
expected to attract about 42,000 visitors to the
region from 62 countries for two weeks. An
estimated 130 million people from around the
world would watch the events on television
and on the web, the county news release notes.
Everyone the News Leader contacted about
the announcement emphasized that one more
big step lies ahead: The FISA Congress has to
vote on the recommendation during the 2013
World Championships in Chungju, South Korea. The official bid award is scheduled to be
announced on Sept. 2.
A copy of the official FISA Council recommendation may be found here. The Council
recommended Benderson's competition for
the 2017 event — Plodiv, Bulgaria — host the
2018 championships.
(From left) Paul Blackketter, Commissioner Joe Barbetta and Randy Benderson, president of Benderson Development, gather at Benderson Park earlier this year. Photo by Norman Schimmel
