Sporting events in the Yakima Valley so far have brought millions of dollars to the local economy and the year isn't over yet. Rich Austin is Director of Sports at the Yakima Valley Sports Commission who says sporting events made a $46.7 million impact on the economy last year and he expects the impact will be bigger in 2017.
He says the new SOZO sports complex helped bring in events that couldn't find a spot to play in early January. "They were able to scrape snow off some of the turf fields so we were able to host events.
Austin says Yakima was just awarded state championships for the next 3 years. The W.I.A.A. volleyball, basketball and dance and drill competition.
And Austin says the year isn't over. More sporting events are planned in the Yakima Valley Sundome in December.

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