The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau and The Buffalo Sports Society welcome the North American Indigenous Games Council (NAIG) to the Buffalo Niagara Marriott on Thursday, May 15, 2003. The NAIG Council is meeting in preparation for the fifteenth anniversary of the Indigenous Games, which will be held in Buffalo from July 20 through 31, 2005.
The Buffalo Niagara Region was selected to host the 2005 Games as a result of a collaborative effort by the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Buffalo Sports Society, and the support of NYS Senator George Maziarz, chairman of the NYS Tourism Committee.
The Games are expected to bring 10,000 people to town and have an economic impact of $6 million on the area.
"Seneca Nation President Ricky Armstrong announced last week the Seneca's $1 million support of the Games," said Guy Patterson, Buffalo Sports Society, President and CEO. "We're thrilled with the support we're receiving for these Games, which is the largest gathering of Indigenous peoples of the decade."
"The Buffalo Niagara CVB partnered with the Buffalo Sports Society in aggressively pursuing the Games because of our region's unique environment and the tremendous economic impact the NAIG competition and its legacy will have on Buffalo Niagar," said Richard Geiger, Buffalo Niagara CVB President. "Buffalo Niagara will continue to build on its strength as a city with great sports venues and capacity for hosting athletic competitions."
Media is invited to interview President Armstrong and Senator Maziarz at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, May 15, 2003 in the media conference room at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott. Members of the NAIG Council, including Christian Sinclair, General Manager for the 2002 Winnepeg Host Society, will be available for interviews after 1:00 p.m. to answer questions about the importance and impact of NAIG. A sample of competitions planned for the 2005 Games include archery, badminton, canoeing, Tae Kwon Do and more than a dozen additional athletic contests.
"The North American Indigenous Games are a fundamental component of the Aboriginal sport movement and has affected a positive change in the health and well-being of Aboriginal people," added Patterson. "The Games serve as the primary vehicle for Indigenous youth sport development at the grassroots level to the international high performance, elite athlete level."
The idea of increasing the scope of the Indigenous Games originated at a gathering of the National Indian Athletic Association, which was held in Neveda in 1977. Thirteen years later, a group of Indigenous leaders from Alberta, Canada organized the first ever North American Indigenous Games in 1990.
The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, as the marketing leader of the Buffalo Niagara hospitality industry, promote our region worldwide as a convention, tourism, leisure and business destination for the economic benefit of the community.
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