Online Registration Open for 2008 Winter Games

The American Family Insurance Badger State Winter Games, one of the Nation’s largest winter sports festivals is pleased to announce online registration is now open for the 20th Annual Winter Games.

"One of the reasons the Games have lasted for 20 years is because they continue to grow and change with the times," said Jessica Gammey, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation. "It started in 1989 with Alpine and Nordic Skiing, Hockey, Curling, and Figure Skating and has grown to the current count of 17 sports. This year we’ve added Clay Target Sports and we’re also partnering with the Wausau 525 in their Kitty Cat Race. These are Wisconsin’s Games and we try to give Wisconsin what it wants.

"Another exciting change this year has to do with the Opening Ceremony. It will now be known as the Winter Festival, we hope this change will accurately reflect that it is a community festival and offers something not just to the athletes in the Games but to volunteers, family, friends and general public," said Gammey.

The Winter Festival will take place on Saturday February 2nd, 2008 from 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm. There will be indoor and outdoor activities, entertainment, prize drawings, free snacks and a sampling of foods from area vendors ranging in price from $1-$4. At 8:00 pm fireworks will kick off the evening’s live music entertainment which will last until 10:00 pm.

The 2008 American Family Insurance Badger State Winter Games will take January 25-27 and February 1-3, 2008. Archery, Bowling, Clay Target Sports, Indoor Soccer and Youth and Women’s Hockey, Snowmobiling and long track Speedskating will take place January 25-27, 2008, while the remaining sports, Alpine Skiing, Badminton, Billiards, remaining Clay Target Sports, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Men’s Hockey, Nordic Skiing, Quadrathlon, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Snowshoe Racing and short track Speedskating will occur February 1-3, 2008 in and around north-central Wisconsin.

The American Family Insurance Badger State Winter Games major sponsors include Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Ministry Health Care. The Games are hosted by Wausau Insurance with special thanks to TravelWisconsin.com and the Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation is a nonprofit sports management organization that helps develop sports tourism in Wisconsin and promotes positive lifestyles and physical fitness through amateur athletic events and health education programs. WSDC owns the American Family Insurance Badger State Games, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Sports Foundation, Paddle & Portage, Shape Up Wisconsin Kids, Lighten Up Wisconsin and the Fit Kids Challenge.  WSDC is also the local host of Ironman Wisconsin.

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