Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission Named as SportsEvents 2021 Readers’ Choice Award Winner

Asheville, N.C. (Dec. 30, 2020) —SportsEvents Media Group, the leading industry publication focused exclusively on helping sports event planners produce excellent competitions in the United States, has announced that Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission in Asheville, North Carolina has been recognized as a 2021 Readers’ Choice Award winner, 1st place in All Star Destination Partners.

The top three award winners from sports event planners, destinations, events and sports venues for youth and amateur sports will be honored in the February 2021 issue of SportsEvents magazine. Honorable mentions will also be highlighted along with bonus nominations that shared in the voting.

Sports event professionals were asked to nominate destinations and sports venues that they believe display exemplary creativity and professionalism toward the youth and amateur sports groups they host. Almost 4,000 votes were cast to name the winners in each category, including an emerging industry leader and all-star virtual and live events. “The destination partners, venues, industry professionals and events nominated for the Readers’ Choice Awards were selected by sports industry peers,” said Sherri Middleton, executive editor of SportsEvents magazine

“It is my honor to recognize Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission as a 2021 winner. During a difficult year in sports, you overcame obstacles and creatively led the way for others,” Middleton said.

Documentary on Asheville public course to air nationally on Golf Channel

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Paul Bonesteel began playing at Asheville Municipal Golf Course – long known as the “Muni” – more than 20 years ago. 

As a documentary filmmaker (“The Day Carl Sandburg Died,” “The Mystery of George Masa”), Bonesteel soon recognized the wonderful stories and characters that were the fabric of North Carolina’s oldest municipal course that opened for play 93 years ago. 

He understood that there was so much more to Muni than 18 well-worn holes that weaves through the East Asheville neighborhood of Beverly Hills.

The backdrop of Muni is a culture of black and white, once divided by Jim Crow rules that fostered racism but eventually gave way to a diverse nature of coexistence, of friendship and camaraderie amid the heat of competition.

The history of that evolution and the rich stories of those who have lived much of their lives at the golf course is well captured in “Muni,” a one-hour documentary by Bonesteel that will debut on the Golf Channel, a 9 p.m. airing on Oct. 27.

Shot over a span of four years, “Muni” is an oral history presentation through the eyes and voices of a collection of golfers who for decades have played the course and have not only witnessed but played huge roles in the changes from a time when blacks were allowed to play there just one day a week. 

Locals who play Muni will recognize names like Billy Gardenhight, Cortez Baxter, Dwight Bryson, C.Y. Young and Pete McDaniel.

These are men that as youngsters served as caddies to white men, fell in love with golf and became obsessed with the game despite the lack of opportunities to play.

Their stories and recollections, from fond memories to the ugly days of segregation, are the heart of the film and provide a cultural timeline to the history of Muni.

Cortez Baxter has worked at the Muni for exactly half of his life. At age 92, he is in his 46th year at the course, still putting in three or four days a week, sometimes 10 hours a day as a starter on the first tee. He could be the epitome of both the golf course and the film. “Golf is my outlet, my love,” he said. “I feel like if I can just get to the golf course, I have no problems.’’

When he is not getting about 200 golfers a day organized to tee off, Baxter is chipping and putting at the practice green next to his starter’s stand.

In his 11th decade on the planet, he is still working to get better, seeking answers to a better golf game.

“Over the years, golf has been a beautiful thing for me; don’t know what I would do without this place,” he said. “This is where I come to relax, and not worry about anything. I’ve made a lot of friends at Muni, and I hope to make some more.”

The film, narrated by popular rock and country singer (and avid golfer) Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame, also focuses on the Skyview Golf Tournament, held annually at Muni since 1960 until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event.

Billy Gardenhight helped create the tournament and was the tournament director for more than a half-century.

He talks lovingly of his baby, which brought some of the best black golfers in the game to Asheville. Lee Elder, the first black man to play The Masters, won three Skyview tourneys in a row in the early 1960s.

Once a regular stop of the black North American Golf Association tour, the Skyview was created as a blacks-only event but by the second year became integrated.

In its heyday more than 225 pros and amateurs competed over three days and 54 holes, and a downtown banquet and dance was a highlight of the black social season in Western North Carolina.

Bonesteel effectively ties in the evolution of black-and-white golf at both Muni and the Skyview tourney over decades. “As a white male who grew up with easy access to a golf course, I wasn’t sure it was a story I could or should tell,” said Bonesteel. “I really wanted to make a film that let these guys tell their story about how their love of golf permeated their lives, how they fell in love with the game and were going to play it no matter what challenges they faced.”

In addition to the original Golf Channel airing on Oct. 27, Bonesteel hopes his film will be shown again on the network on future dates. “Muni” is also scheduled to be featured on PBS’ Reel South Series in April, 2021. 

“This was a chance to retell the painful story of segregation through the lens of golf, with some wonderful characters,” said Bonesteel. “Golf is not about getting a chance to play on fancy courses that cost a lot of money...this film tells a story about how golf is loved by people of color and that golf belongs to everyone.”

By Keith Jarrett

The 2020 Maui Jim Maui Invitational Relocates to Asheville, North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, NC (Sept. 18, 2020) – Asheville is pleased to be named the host city in the mainland move of the 2020 Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The Tournament receives national coverage each year by ESPN and is considered the premier event around the Thanksgiving holiday. With the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) announcement that the 2020-21 college basketball season will start on Nov. 25, this year’s event dates have yet to be finalized. All games will take place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville in downtown Asheville.

Teams expected to participate are Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Stanford, Texas and UNLV. The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission (ABRSC) worked with several collaborative entities in securing the event’s relocation to Asheville amid a worthy consideration set. 

Those involved in the Tournament – teams, staff, officials and ESPN media – will be in a bubble environment that limits their movement and interaction outside the venue. The Tournament will follow North Carolina guidelines on mass gatherings. 

“We couldn’t be more excited and deeply honored to bring the Maui Jim Maui Invitational here to Asheville,” said Demp Bradford, president of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. “Asheville’s ability to host this top-level sporting event is a testament to state and local partnerships built on a track record of welcoming and supporting national, and international, competitive events to Buncombe County.”  

The Tournament is expected to generate more than $1.1 million in economic impact in Buncombe County, according to Bradford.

In recent years, Asheville has landed such quality athletic competitions as the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas (with both Serena and Venus Williams on the Team USA roster), the Southern Conference and Big South Basketball Championships, iconic outdoor events like Haute Route and Spartan Race, as well as extreme trail races such as the Black Mountain Marathon and Mount Mitchell Challenge.

ABRSC worked closely with Buncombe County health officials and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan that makes safety a priority for this tournament as well as multiple sporting events that could be hosted in the Asheville area. Those involved and traveling to Asheville for the Tournament will undergo testing throughout the event.

Surrounded by the highest mountain peaks east of the Mississippi and intersected by “America’s Favorite Scenic Drive,” the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville is steeped in natural history, outdoor adventure and cultural legacies. The city’s backdrop features one million acres of protected wilderness, thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails and George Vanderbilt’s 8,000-acre legacy, Biltmore Estate. At the heart of Asheville is a vibrant downtown brimming with Art Deco architecture, James Beard chefs, craft breweries and distilleries and an innovative art, music and theater scene. 

“Love for athletics runs strong in these mountains,” said Chris Cavanaugh, interim executive of Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Asheville is thrilled to share the national spotlight offered by high-caliber events like the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. These events enrich and enliven our community on many levels as an opportunity to celebrate this compelling region and its sporting history.”

The Tournament will result in a homecoming for North Carolina coach Roy Williams, a three-time national champion and 2007 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame who was born and raised in Western North Carolina. In high school, Williams lettered in basketball and baseball at Asheville’s T. C. Roberson. His first coaching job was at Charles D. Owen High School in nearby Black Mountain.

Great Smoky Mountain Grapple 2020 has been postponed

THE ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE REGIONAL SPORTS COMMISSION ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT REGARDING THE 2020 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN GRAPPLE:

“As you are aware, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association has modified their season for wrestling for 2020-21. As a result, we will not be able to host the Great Smoky Mountain Grapple in December 2020. After the first of the year, our tournament committee will re-evaluate and see if there is a possibility to host a wrestling event later in the year in potentially June.

We realize that each state will be going through different guidelines so we wanted to let you know as soon as possible. We have some incredible teams from across the Southeast and we wish each of you the best as your season progresses and we hope that your athletes have a safe school year. We will be following you and cheering for your programs as you capture State Championships.

Please mark your calendars for December 17-18, 2021 for the 2021 GRAPPLE. Thank you for your dedication and participation in the tournament over the past three years.”

- Demp Bradford, President

Asheville Spartan Race - COVID-19 Update

The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission issued the following statement regarding the 2020 Asheville Spartan Race:

The Asheville Spartan Race is one of the largest sporting events held annually in Buncombe County. The Spartan Race organization has been diligent in insuring the safety of each of the participants and spectators over the past couple of months. Today, Spartan made a decision to cancel the 2020 Asheville Spartan Race to be held in Black Mountain the last weekend of July. The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission supports the decision made by Spartan and we look forward to hopefully hosting the Asheville Spartan in 2021. The health and wellness of the each participant, spectator, and all citizens of Western North Carolina are of our utmost concern at this time.

Thank you and please stay safe!

Demp Bradford - President

Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission Statement

The Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission issued the following statement today:

“The safety and well-being of each individual participating or attending a sports event in Asheville and Buncombe County is the primary focus of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. Buncombe County has issued a “Stay Home - Stay Safe” policy until April 9, 2020 and the State of North Carolina has issued the same order through April 29, 2020. Our organization will work hard with each event to reschedule and to update our calendar as quickly as possible. Please check the individual event website or Facebook page for up-to-date information that may be available. We continue to monitor the situation and will make updates accordingly. Our wish for each of you is that you stay safe and healthy and we look forward to seeing you at our Sports Events in the future.”

Demp Bradford - President

Hoops Against Hunger joins the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships for the Sixth Year!

Eblen Charities is proud to announce for the sixth consecutive year, the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championship has chosen to partner with Eblen Charities’ Hoops Against Hunger as the official charity of the tourney.

We are so thankful to our partners for giving us this opportunity. The tournament weekend, held at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville, will not only provide us with a chance to collect food and donations, but it is a special time for our volunteers as it is one of the largest and most anticipated sporting events in the South East.

From the Hotel Challenge to the Ingles Fan Experience, the games, the mascots, and everything in between, there is always something fun going on. And when the Hoops Against Hunger Halftime Cheerleader Relays aren’t stealing the halftime show, we are being provided with an opportunity to not only help the children of WNC in their battle against hunger but also a chance to raise awareness for the visiting fans and teams to take home and get involved in their community as well. It is a special time for a cause that is otherwise so often forgotten.

It is a battle many of the children in our community face on a regular basis and that is why the heroic efforts and donations of our partners and friends are so critical. It is through our combined efforts that we our able to assist these children in their time of need and we couldn’t be more thankful. For a child, hunger leads to far worse circumstances than an empty stomach as it affects everything from their health and well- being to their school work, friendships and home-life; stunting not only their physical growth but their personal growth as well. Every chance we have to feed a child is a chance to save a child.

The Eblen Charities Hoops Against Hunger booth will be set up in the Ingles Fan Experience area during the tournament, Friday, March 6th through Monday, March 9th . All food donated during the tournament will be distributed to students in Buncombe County for Spring Break. We would like to thank our partners who make the Hoops Against Hunger Program possible: Ingles, Southern Conference, iHeartMedia Asheville, WLOS, Arby’s, Pepsi, Brumit Restaurant Group, Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, and Buncombe County Schools.

This truly is an amazing event and a fantastic opportunity to help, and we hope to see you there! For more information on Hoops Against Hunger please visit www.eblencharities.org. For more information on the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament please visit www.soconhoops.com.

Community outreach programs finalized for Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships presented by General Shale

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference and the Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission announced today the final lineup for the community outreach efforts associated with the upcoming 2020 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships presented by General Shale, which will take place March 5-9 in Asheville, North Carolina. The tournament, which will be played for the ninth consecutive year in Asheville at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, will support a number of programs aimed at providing individuals and groups in the Western North Carolina area with assistance and allowing them to attend designated sessions of the tournament free of charge. These efforts will include the following:

Educations Days (Thursday, March 5, and Friday, March 6)

Children from Buncombe County Schools, Asheville City Schools and other area school districts will attend either the Thursday, March 5, or Friday, March 6, women’s session free of charge through the tournament’s Education Days initiative. The children will each receive a free gift courtesy of Ingles Markets.

Downtown Dribble and KidsFest presented by Champion Credit Union (Saturday, March 7, 9-11 a.m. at Pack Square)

Downtown Dribble and KidsFest will take place beginning in Pack Square in downtown Asheville from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 7. The Square will be filled with interactive games, as well as cheerleaders, bands and mascots. Children attending the event will be given a free basketball and T-shirt and a wristband allowing them free admission to the men’s session beginning at noon that same day. The event will culminate with a dribble parade from Pack Square and end at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville. The Downtown Dribble and KidsFest is presented by Champion Credit Union.

SoCon Morning/Afternoon Out (Saturday, March 7)

The Southern Conference, working through the Asheville Police Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department, will provide a morning and afternoon out for select elementary school aged children on Saturday, March 7. The children will attend the Downtown Dribble and KidsFest on Saturday morning, as well as attend the afternoon men’s session at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville. The kids will be treated to a pizza party and receive free apparel courtesy of the Western North Carolina Children’s Fund and adidas. 

Teddy Bear Toss (Sunday, March 8)

Those attending the 4 p.m. game on Sunday, March 8, will have the opportunity to make a donation to the Mountain Child Advocacy Center in order to receive a stuffed teddy bear. At halftime of the game, the bears will be thrown onto the playing court and donated to be used as comfort bears for children at the Mission Children’s Hospital and by local law enforcement agencies.

Hometown Heroes Night (Monday, March 9)

Members of the military, fire, police, emergency and medical services, charitable organizations and civil service employees will be afforded an opportunity to attend the men’s championship game free of charge on Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m., as part of Hometown Heroes Night sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western North Carolina, Duke Energy and Hedrick Industries.

 Hoops Against Hunger

The Southern Conference and Eblen Charities will team up throughout the championships to provide awareness and to help combat childhood hunger through the Hoops Against Hunger program. An information booth will be set up at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville to provide information about childhood hunger and to accept cash or food donations. The Hoops Against Hunger Hotel Challenge will take place during the tournament at local hotels. Each hotel will have a collection bin in its lobby and will encourage staff and guests to donate to the bin. Two winners of the Challenge will selected – the hotel that collects the most food in overall weight and the hotel that collects the most food in weight per room capita. The winners of the challenge will receive an award at halftime of the men’s championship game on Monday, March 9. Awareness of the Hoops Against Hunger program will also be provided through the Hoops Against Hunger Relay Challenge during halftime of each tournament game and by the team coaching staffs wearing Hoops Against Hunger lapel pins.

Wounded Warrior Project

A number of military veterans will be recognized at halftimes and timeouts during the championships through the Wounded Warrior Project.

-www.SoConSports.com-

WNC Female Wrestling Teams Make History

HENDERSON COUNTY - Two WNC wrestling programs made history Dec. 3.

A year after the state approved a one-year trial for a women's wrestling invitational - the first of its kind in the state - West Henderson's girls wrestling team hosted Swain County in the first female dual meet in North Carolina history.

Swain County took the win 30-26.

Since 2015, the number of girls joining their high school wrestling programs in the state has increased by 30 percent, according to numbers from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. There are now over 250 female wrestlers in the state, in a sport that is one of the fastest growing in high school athletics for girls. 

David Thompson, Asheville Citizen Times

Court No. 1 dedication set for Tuesday

Court No. 1 at Aston Park Tennis Center will be dedicated in honor of Lewis Isaac, during an official ceremony Tuesday, November 5th. The dedication, which is free and open to the public, is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. near the north entrance at Aston Park Tennis Center at 336 Hilliard Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801

Scheduled speakers include Bob Smith, Building Bridges Retired Community Relations member; Laura Loftis, Manager at Aston Park | Tennis Center; Jeff Joyce, President Asheville Tennis Association and Asheville City Council member, Julie Mayfield. Plus a very special tribute in song, performed by the Asheville Youth Choir , under the direction of Musical Director, Clark Sorrels.

Loftis expressed gratitude to all those who worked together at the City of Asheville Parks & Recreation department and Asheville City Council along with overwhelming community support and input who were all determined and helped make the dedication a reality.

Lewis Isaac played tennis at the Aston Park Tennis Center for decades. An ardent supporter of Public Tennis, he served with a group of many Aston Park supporters in working with local government officials in keeping Aston Park open to everyone in the Asheville area. The Asheville Tennis Community loved Lewis and his big heart for service to others. He was a long-time member of the USTA, the governing body of tennis in the United States.

Lewis retired as Chief of Human Resources at the VA Medical Center after 27 years of service, then later retired from City of Asheville Human Resources. A fixture on the Asheville tennis scene and former longtime City of Asheville employee he will be recognized for his dedication to both. At their Sept. 10 meeting, Asheville City Council voted to name Court 1 at Aston Park Tennis Center, 336 Hilliard Ave., in memory of the late Lewis Isaac. He died June 2, 2019.

Following his retirement, he served on many boards, including the City’s Recreation Board. Isaac was a volunteer for many local organizations, including the Building Bridges, United Way, Our Voice and MANNA Food Bank along with these, to say he made a contribution to our community , would be putting in lightly.

Lewis Isaac was involved with several groups and organizations on many boards and membershipshere was his active list upon his death:

American Red Cross

American Society for Training and Development – Western Carolina Chapter

Asheville City Schools

Asheville Housing Authority

Asheville Parks and Recreation

Asheville Tennis Association

Asheville Track Club

Alcoholic Beverage Control

BB&T

Building Bridges

Combined Federal Campaign

Manna Food Bank

North Carolina Governor’s Council on Sickle Cell & Related Disorders

Our Voice

RiverLink

YMCA

United States Tennis Association

United Way

Awards:

Excellence in Public Service for both City of Asheville and the Greater Asheville Area

Council asked residents for their input on Open City Hall Asheville before making this designation.More than 120 people responded to the survey and their response was unanimously in favor. Some of the comments included:

“Lewis was a gift to our community and a true public servant. His passion for tennis was palpable, and memorializing him with this honor would be a great way to recognize his commitment to our community.”

“Lewis was an authentic contributor to the Asheville community both through service as an employee and a volunteer. I support this honorary naming opportunity and only wish he were here to accept the honor.”

“Lewis Isaac made a difference in this community. He should be remembered and celebrated PLUS he loved tennis!”

Learn more about his exemplary life and accomplishments at this link: http://bit.ly/2lOFSFv

For more information, please contact Lora Loftis at lloftis@ashevillenc.gov. Tel. 828.552.9244

- Asheville Tennis Association -