SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- More people are in town this week to spend a lot more money than many local businesses are used to seeing. The National Christian Home school basketball tournament is in Springfield all week long.
It's a big deal that Springfield can host an event of this size. Some 10,000 people are here for it, and it really is all about the numbers for local businesses. The Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates tournament goers will spend some $3.65 million while they are here.
It's an event that Denise Gabryel wouldn't miss.
"It took us about 13 hours to get here. It should have been an 11-hour drive, but we went through some ice storms in St. James," she said.
Gabryel and her family are here from Michigan. They are eying number 15, as her son’s team takes on a team from Texas.
She says it’s just a lot of family fun and a slam dunk for local businesses.
"I love Springfield. I still have to try cashew chicken so I'm waiting for that and it's really great!"
From good food to good basketball -- The Courts -- and many others, are banking it in.
"It's added revenue as far as the court rental for the games, but whenever the people come out on their own time just to shoot around and practice hour by hour, that is a huge impact for us, too," said Shane Friebe, sports director at The Courts.
Friebe says concession sales go up by 75-percent during this week, and he adds about three workers for food services, plus referees.
"More jobs and more hours, you bet," Friebe said.
"When you think of family vacation, multiply that with the whole team and take it times 330-plus teams and you can add up real quick,” said Lance Kettering, with the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Kettering says these folks book about 8,000 hotel rooms for the week, and dine out.
"We buy all our food here, so we either are going out to eat or going grocery shopping, gas, we buy everything here," Gabryel said. "We came in on Sunday and we are leaving on Sunday so we'll be here for a straight seven days."
The CVB says this area hopes to host the tournament though 2017.
For more information about game times and locations, visit http://nchclive.com/.
