White Paper The mission of the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation is to assist in securing and staging statewide, regional, national, and international sporting competitions and special events for the Greater Baton Rouge Area, thereby having a positive economic impact on our community. By attracting professional, collegiate, high school and recreational sporting events to the Baton Rouge area, the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation intends to make Baton Rouge the amateur sports capital of the South. The objectives of the Sports Foundation are to invite, attract, welcome, and facilitate sporting events of all types to the region, and to produce, support and develop events that stimulate sports activity in our area. The Sports Foundation serves as a liaison between organized groups or individual promoters and the local organizations that control event facilities, and acts as an information center for the public and media regarding sporting events and contacts. The Sports Foundation works to develop and participates in fundraising activities that are necessary to attract and produce any event opportunities in our area. The Sports Foundation strives to continually develop the sports industry in our region, and actively solicits members of the community to participate and assist in the pursuit of its mission. The Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization and is governed by a 15 member Board of Directors, which is elected by its membership and appointed from representative organizations. These organizations include the Office of the Mayor-President, the Greater Baton Rouge Hospitality Management Association, Louisiana State University, Southern University, the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Freedom Association, as well as at-large members from area businesses. The staff consists of a President/CEO, a Coordinator of Outdoor Sports and a Coordinator of Indoor Sports. Interns that work under both Coordinators complete the Sports Foundation staff. To guide and direct its efforts, the Sports Foundation evaluates and prioritizes sporting events based on (1) the economic impact the event would bring to our community, (2) whether the event can improve our overall community relations, (3) the educational and academic value of the event, and (4) whether the event will stimulate the development and/or improvement of quality sports facilities, spur growth and participation in a particular sports related activity, and incite the interest, involvement and support of area residents.