Community forum to weigh impact sports have on cities

Ohio State President Karen Holbrook will moderate a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum that will explore the impact athletics have on communities, and in particular the economic effect of Ohio State athletics on the Central Ohio region.

Panelists will include Andy Geiger, director of the Athletics Department; Dan Doyle, founder and executive director of the Institute for International Sport in Kingston, R.I.; and Paul Astleford, chief executive officer of Experience Columbus. The forum will be held from noon to 1:15 p.m. tomorrow (2/2) at the Columbus Athletic Club, 138 E. Broad Street.

During the forum, Geiger will release a research report that quantifies the economic impact Buckeye sports have on the central Ohio region and will introduce the department’s Good Sports community outreach initiative. Good Sports will serve as an umbrella program for the interaction student-athletes, coaches and staff have with the residents of central Ohio.

Media reservations may be made at www.columbusmetroclub.org

In central Ohio, Ohio State athletics are a dominant force in both economic and human terms. More than 950 student-athletes compete in scarlet and gray uniforms, while also contributing thousands of volunteer hours to hundreds of community groups. Many on the athletic staff of more than 300 lead nonprofit boards in the community, in addition to serving as leaders of major charitable fundraisers. Throughout the year, Ohio State also makes its world-class athletic venues available to youth organizations, providing children with the thrill of competing in the same facilities as their sports heroes.

WHAT:“Good Sports: The Impact of Sports on Communities,” a forum hosted by the Columbus Metropolitan Club

WHEN: From noon to 1:15 p.m., Feb. 2

WHERE: Columbus Athletic Club, 138 E. Broad Street, Columbus

WHY: To release a report on the economic impact of Ohio State athletics on central Ohio and to debut the new Good Sports community outreach initiative.