Figure skaters from eight states will take to the ice in Peoria next month. The Upper Great Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championship is set for October 3-7 at the Peoria Civic Center’s Carver Arena.
The Heart of Illinois Figure Skating Club is hosting the event.
The Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the event will utilize one-thousand hotel room nights and generate more than $750,000 for the area. President and CEO Don Welch says the figure skating championship is a significant addition to Greater Peoria’s busy event schedule.
“Not only does it bring a lot of people into downtown Peoria to the Peoria Civic Center but it's a very high profile event for the community. USA Figure Skating is just a great coup to bring that to the Peoria Area,” says Welch.
Welch adds landing the figure skating championship may help to attract more sporting events. Civic Center General Manager Rik Edgar says adding the regional figure skating championship to the schedule will maximize the Civic Center’s use for 15 days in October.
Next month’s championship is one of nine regional competitions sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. They serve as one of the initial qualifiers for annual U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
