August 9, 2006

Country’s largest shooting tournament to make inaugural debut in Sparta August 8-18

Sparta, Illinois - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is proud to welcome the Amateur Trapshooting Association’s (ATA) Grand American World Trapshooting Championships to its new home, The World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois, this week.

One of America’s oldest and most unique sporting events, the Grand American has evolved into the premier shooting event in the world with nearly 7,000 competitors. With its rich history and storied events, the Grand American attracts shooters from around the globe who will descend on southwest Illinois over 11 days to compete for over 400 trophies and $1 million in prizes.

“This is what the last several years of planning and hard work were all about,” said Acting IDNR Director Sam Flood. “The world’s premier shooting facility is now home to the world’s premier shooting event. We’re proud to have the ATA and the Grand American call Sparta home this year and well into the future.”

The Grand American dates back to 1893 when the first Grand American was held in Dexter Park in Long Island, New York. Originally a four-day tournament held in June, there were just 74 entries. Throughout the years, the Grand American has traveled to such cities as Chicago, Columbus, Ohio and St. Louis before making a permanent home in Vandalia, Ohio in 1924. The ATA homeground remained there until 2005.

“We are grateful to Governor Blagojevich and the IDNR for this opportunity,” said ATA President Ken Duncan. “Due to the City of Dayton airport expansion, we were literally forced to seek new home grounds.

The State of Illinois and IDNR offered to construct this beautiful facility to host our tournament. IDNR not only provided us with the opportunity to continue the Grand American, but have provided us the use of the most impressive shooting facility in the world.”

Construction of the WSRC was approved by Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich in 2003. The 1,600-acre facility features 250 acres of water; 120 trap fields extending 3.5 miles; two sporting clays courses; a Cowboy Action Shooting corral; permanent exhibition building; 746 RV campsites with electric, water, and sanitary services, with an additional 264 sites with electrical service, providing potential for camping jamborees; a multi-purpose recreational facility; gift shop; and, a full service restaurant and lounge.

Ground on the complex was broken in fall 2004, and the project took approximately 16 months to be completed. Costs for the project will total approximately $50 million. The state’s Capital Development Board (CDB) provided $31.5 million in capital funding for the project, and also managed the construction of the WSRC. The Illinois Department of Transportation reallocated $10 million for road improvements in the area. And $8 million in local bonds for water and sewer improvements will be repaid to the City of Sparta over the next 20 years.

As a way to welcome visitors of the Grand American to their new home, the City of Sparta, the ATA, IDNR and a number of local and corporate sponsors have teamed up to show visitors what southwestern Illinois is all about. The Southwestern Illinois tourism bureau will host tours of area attractions for visitors to the Grand American shooting competition during August 8-18, 2006. Visitors can tour the area where “Popeye” cartoon creator Elzie Segar lived, experience horse racing at Fairmont Park, shop at locally owned specialty and antique shops, visit a local winery and much more.

“The City of Sparta and Randolph County are excited about the future opportunities for our area, due to the World Shooting and Recreational Complex opening,” said Sparta Mayor Randy Bertetto. “This complex will not only create new jobs and increase tax revenue, but will also make Sparta the destination for thousands of people. This entire area looks forward to an exciting and prosperous future.”