(Hampton Roads, VA) -- The Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games return to Hampton Roads this summer and are more than just fun and, well, games. The summer pilgrimage of more than 45,000 participants, including 15,000 athletes and their families and coaches to the competition, delivers a healthy bottom line for the Hampton Roads Sports Commission and its five participating cities. With an economic impact forecast to approach $50 million, the Games offer a sound investment in both tourism and youth sports.

Set for July 29 to August 7, 2010, athletes, expected from 50 states, compete in one of the largest amateur multi-sport youth events in the country. Held annually throughout the United States, Hampton Roads last hosted the games in 2006 and is one of five cities in a ten-year rotation to host the games through 2016. Other sites include Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Houston, TX; and New Orleans, LA.

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