Florida's Space Coast to Host AAU Junior Olympic Games

Governor DeSantis announced Florida’s Space Coast as the host of the 2020 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Games today at a media event at Viera Regional Park. This will mark the second time the AAU Junior Olympic Games have been held on the Space Coast, and sixth time in Florida. The Space Coast Tourism Development Council unanimously approved a proposal to host the AAU Junior Olympic Games in late July and early August. The Brevard County Board of County Commissioners voted to allocate Tourist Development Tax funding to support the event.

“There couldn’t be a better place to hold this event right now then at Florida’s Space Coast,” said Dr. Roger J. Goudy, AAU President & CEO. “The support and commitment we’ve seen at all levels, from Governor DeSantis to Brevard County local officials, has been impressive. Working together, we are laying a strong, solid foundation for what will be an exciting 54th edition of the AAU Junior Olympic Games.”

The 2020 AAU Junior Olympic Games are a collaboration between the AAU, Space Coast Office of Tourism, Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Sports Foundation, School Board of Brevard County, Brevard County Board of County Commissioners, and the Sunshine State Games to provide participation athletic opportunities to a diverse athlete and coach demographic.

"We're absolutely thrilled that we're getting this opportunity," Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranis said. "The timing of it couldn't be any better."

Bringing the event to Florida will provide a positive economic impact to the Space Coast area of at least $3 million to $3.5 million from upwards of 10,000 hotels room nights, restaurants and other local businesses benefiting from an influx of 2,000 to 3,000 athletes, coaches, parents and their families to the area from in-state and out-of-state. This year’s event was to be held in Hampton Roads, Virginia, but they were unable to provide the facilities due to COVID-19 concerns.

“This will be a tremendous lift for Brevard’s tourism industry as we come to the rescue to save the event for the kids,” said Rusty Buchanan, First Vice President of the AAU.

For more information, visit aaujrogames.org.

About the AAU: The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest- non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts.

For more information, visit www.aausports.org| Instagram: @AAUSports | Twitter: @TheRealAAU | YouTube: youtube.com/TheRealAAUvideo | Facebook: facebook.com/realAAU

About Florida’s Space Coast: Florida’s Space Coast is home to Orlando’s closest beaches, 35 miles to the east, stretching 72 miles along the coastline, and is the East Coast surfing capital. Guests can discover the beauty of nature in more than 250 square miles of wildlife refuge, Brevard Zoo, and the Indian River Lagoon. Launches are visible across the county from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the only location in America where astronauts launch into space. For more information about launches, visit SpaceCoastLaunches.comand download the Launch Console app. To learn more, contact the Space Coast Office of Tourism at (877) 572-3224 or VisitSpaceCoast.com.  Find us on social media at Facebook.com/visitspacecoast, Twitter.com/flaspacecoast, Instagram.com/floridaspacecoast, and YouTube.com/c/visitspacecoast.