October 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 20

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Durant Parks and Recreation
Hosts Inaugural Sports Festival
By Rebecca Carroll
C
ity of Durant, Oklahoma, was recently home to a first-of-itskind,
month-long sports festival in the heart of the Choctaw Nation.
The Durant Sports Festival, a collaborative effort between
City of Durant Parks and Recreation and Events International,
LLC, and sponsored by Discover Durant, was conceived with the goal of
celebrating the vibrant, diverse recreation landscape available in the area.
Twenty-four different sports,
camps, activities and clinics were
planned, with something offered for
participants of all ages. The Durant
Multi-Sports Complex, the city's
largest recreational facility, played a
focal role in the event.
" It was a little chaotic, organizing
all of the different events, sports
and hosts, " says Parks Manager
Ryan Brewer. " We had to fit so
many activities into 30 days, over an
eight-month planning period. My
favorite part about the whole event
is bringing light to some sports or
activities you don't see very often,
like rugby and stickball. "
" It was altogether a successful
event. We had over 8,000 people in
attendance between our 24 events
at eight locations, " adds Brewer.
" Athletes traveled all the way from
New Zealand, Australia and South
Africa to compete. "
The sports festival was a truly collaborative
effort, which was made
possible through partnerships with
10 organizations. Stickball was held
at the Choctaw Nation Cultural
Center, and tennis and softball activities
were offered through the Durant
Independent School District.
The sports festival benefitted local
athletes as well. Three events
were held to raise money to send
athletes to compete at the national
level, and the proceeds from two
events were donated to local charities,
totaling more than $2,000.
Early in June, the festival kicked
off with an Okie Kids Fishing Adventure,
led by Lori Jo Reid with
Okie Toy Run. " We enjoyed the
time, food, drinks and good music, "
says Reid. " Seventy-six of the participants
were kids fishing, and they
caught loads of fish. There was tons
of excitement, happiness and learning
experiences. " Prizes, sponsored
by local businesses and individuals,
were given for three age groups for
The Durant Sports Festival, hosted
in the heart of the Choctaw Nation,
celebrated the vibrant, diverse recreation
landscape available in the area.
20 Parks & Recreation | O CTOBER 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
biggest fish and most fish caught.
Following the fishing adventure,
three to six events were held every
week with an average of more than
1,700 attendees visiting City of Durant.
" It started off rocky, " Brewer
says. " We had rain it seemed like for
the first two weeks. We even had to
reschedule or cancel events due to the
rain in the beginning of the month. "
The final weekend of the sports
festival boasted six events in one
day, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at
11 p.m. Of these events, a disc golf
tournament held by Big Foot Discs
raised money to send tournament
winners to the National Disc Golf
MVP Championship in Rock Hill,
South Carolina, later in the year.
" We are thrilled to support the
Durant Sports Festival, an event
that celebrates athletic excellence,
brings
together our community,
and attracts visitors from near and
far. This festival showcases the vibrant
spirit of our city and highlights
its potential as a premier destination
for sports and tourism, "
says Janet Reed with Discover Durant
and the Durant Area Chamber
of Commerce. " We look forward
to continuing our partnership and
contributing to the growth and success
of this remarkable event. "
" We are excited to make this an annual
event, " says Brewer. " Next year,
we plan to add rodeo, pickleball,
esports, lacrosse and anything else
that we think would be a good fit. It
was, of course, a learning experience,
but it was a good event, and we could
not have done it by ourselves. "
Brewer expressed his gratitude
to the partners and sponsors of the
event.
Rebecca Carroll is Public Information
Officer at City of Durant Parks and
Recreation (rcarroll@durant.org).
PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF DURANT, OKLAHOMA
October 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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