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The two-day event features nearly 600 teams from throughout Ohio, as well as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana, according to a release from the organizers.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
It's the largest two-day soccer tournament in the nation, bringing close to 9,000 families, 18,000 spectators and about $5 million in tourist spending to the Miami Valley, according to Tournament Co-Director Tim Grinstead.
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“The overwhelming community support for this event is the reason that the Haunted Classic Tournament has grown to become the largest two-day soccer tournament in the nation,” Grinstead said in a prepared statement. “We’ve had tremendous support from Greene County, Montgomery County, the City of Beavercreek, Beavercreek Township and the City of Oakwood. On top of that, the Haunted Classic is supported by 600 of the friendliest and hardest-working volunteers to ever grace a soccer field.”
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
The economic boon to the area can be measured in-part by hotel bookings, according to Kathleen Wright, executive director of the Greene County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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“It generates more than 2,000 room nights for area hotels, from as far south as Springboro and north to Englewood," Wright said in a prepared statement. "We encourage all of the families and spectators to take some time to enjoy the rich history and fantastic attractions that this region has to offer.”
More information can be found on the Haunted Classic Soccer Tournament website.
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