(Hampton Roads, VA) – The Hampton Roads Sports Commission, an affiliate of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce that it will bring the Can-Am Police-Fire Games to Hampton Roads from August 20-26, 2018.  More than 2,000 competitors, including emergency first responders and military, are expected to participate in the week-long events held at a variety of venues throughout Hampton Roads.  The Sports Commission will work with the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach to host the games, which will offer 40 sporting events ranging from swimming, softball, cycling to profession specific events such as SWAT, police service dog, toughest firefighter alive, pistol, and toughest competitor alive.

 Bill Merrylees, CEO of the Can-Am Police-Fire Games Federation, said, "We are very pleased to award the 2018 Can-Am Police-Fire Games to the Hampton Roads Sports Commission in Virginia.  The final presentation made by the bid committee was very impressive to our board and demonstrated the community support required to host a successful multi-sport event.  We look forward to working with the Hampton Roads community."

Since 1977, the Can-Am Police-Fire Games have been a showcase for law enforcement and fire service personnel from across North America to share in the camaraderie of testing their skills in athletic competition among their peers. Unlike other state, national and international police and fire games the Can-Am Police-Fire Games are a family-oriented event which allows spouses of eligible law enforcement, fire, EMS and other emergency and protective service agencies to compete.  The Can-Am Police-Fire Games have been designed to encourage participation from all levels of expertise and abilities.  With multiple age classifications and divisions, participants compete against other athletes of similar skills. 

Morgan Lang, Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Sports Commission, attended the 2012 Can-Am Police-Fire Games in Minnesota and quickly realized that Hampton Roads would be a perfect fit for the games.  Not only is the region family-friendly, offers a variety of accommodations, venues, transit options and has a history of successfully hosting large-scale sporting events, but more than 6,600 first responders live and work in Hampton Roads. 

Lang said, “In preparation for the bid presentation, a committee including local police and fire personnel from the region met on a regular basis.  Their participation, in addition to the efforts of many local mayors, was instrumental in the success of our pitch and being awarded this opportunity.”  She added, “Past economic impact studies have shown that the Can-Am Police-Fire Games can have a $4-8 million impact on a local economy, which is great for the Hampton Roads region.”                                                                              

In an effort to give back to the community, the Hampton Roads Sports Commission will donate a portion of the proceeds from the games to Vigilant Watch, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing support to regional public safety officials, active duty or retired, and their immediate families, who have suffered a hardship based on injury, illness or catastrophic event, which has created a financial or physical hardship.                                                                        

About the Hampton Roads Sports Commission (www.HamptonRoadsSports.org)

In February 1999, the Hampton Roads Sports Commission (HRSC) was formed as a private/public partnership among the municipalities of Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. The Sports Commission's primary function is to attract major amateur athletic events to the area to emphasize regional collaboration. The HRSC promotes Hampton Roads while enhancing the economy and quality of life of its residents by creating and recruiting local and national amateur, military and youth sporting events, while providing unparalleled customer service.  Past HRSC events include: the AAU Junior Olympic Games (1998, 2001, 2006, 2010), the National Senior Games (2003), and the Red Cross Heroes Games (2004, 2005).  The Sports Commission will host the AAU Junior Olympic Games in 2015, 2020 and 2025.  During the past 13 years, the HRSC has generated more than $168 million in economic impact for the region.  The Hampton Roads Sports Commission is an affiliate of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.  Follow on Facebook (Hampton Roads Sports Commission) and Twitter (HRSC757).

About the Can-Am Police-Fire Games (www.CanAmPoliceFireGames.org)

The Can-Am Police-Fire Games is an international, multi-sport and multi-venue event held every two years. We are a non-profit organization and our mission is to promote physical fitness and camaraderie among law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS, protective service personnel and their agencies.  The charity benefactor of this event is chosen by the local host city.  York County, Pennsylvania will conduct the games in 2014 and Thunder Bay, Canada, will conduct the games in 2016.