by Gabriella Colurciello, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications, Greater Waco Chamber
photo by Rod Aydelotte, Waco Tribune Herald
Sports make great stories and that’s why people love them. In Greater Waco, the community is fortunate to have an organization dedicated to growing the sports scene. A group of community leaders went on an InterCity Leadership Visit, hosted by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, and saw sports commissions in other cities fueling their economies. Those leaders thought “Why don’t we have one in Waco?” They came home, formed a committee and talked to leading entities in the community: the City of Waco, McLennan County and the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Waco Sports Commission was born. Each of these entities became important pillars of support for the new nonprofit organization. 22 | SPRING 2022
The Greater Waco Sports Commission is a different kind of nonprofit. Generally, sports commissions create and grow events to fuel the local economy and positively impact the quality of life. The Greater Waco Sports Commission does more; it is building for sustainability for years to come. For nearly seven years, it has thrived from community support: from financial supporters to community members networking on their behalf. A small-but-mighty team of two, Event Manager, Emily Miller and Mike Vogelaar, Executive Director, coupled with many passionate volunteers, are making great strides to positively impact the community.
