Ice Hockey Event Added To Festival Line-Up

NEWS RELEASE Posted on Monday, June 20, 2007 - 04:40 PM EST

CORAL GABLES, FLA. -- The World's Largest International Youth Sports and Arts Festival is going to get a bit larger this year as the Junior Orange Bowl Committee (JOBC) adds ice hockey to their line-up of athletic competitions.  The 2007-2008 Junior Orange Bowl International Youth Festival, which runs from October to March, will now include the Miami Little Toros Ice Hockey Tournament. With teams coming from all over the United States, this 4-day tournament is expected to welcome over 350 kids in 5 different age divisions to the Kendall Ice Arena during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend in January 2008.

Joe Timpone of the Kendall Ice Arena will be the Director of the tournament. "Ice hockey is alive in Miami-Dade and we hope to bring that awareness to the community with the help of the Junior Orange Bowl Committee." said Timpone. "Over the course of the 4-day tournament, we're going to see 350 kids from 20 different teams play in the name of competition and good sportsmanship. We want as many teams as possible to know that Miami is a good destination for ice hockey."

The Junior Orange Bowl/Miami Little Toros Ice Hockey Tournament will be open to teams in the standard age divisions: Mites (ages 7-8), Squirts (ages 9-10), Pee-wees (ages 11-12), Bantams (ages 13-14), Midgets (ages 15-16). Each team will play a minimum of 4 games during the tournament. 

Ice hockey adds another sport to the Junior Orange Bowl Festival's roster of youth events being held in South Florida. The athletic events of the Junior Orange Bowl include the world-famous Junior Orange Bowl International Golf and Tennis Tournaments, the Junior Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, a 5K Run, the Junior Orange Bowl Cross Country Invitational, and the Sports Ability Games, held for physically challenged youths. Additionally, the Festival includes contests for local students such as the Junior Orange Bowl Photography Contest and the Youth Arts Contest. The highlight of the Festival is always the Junior Orange Bowl Parade in Coral Gables, this year being held on December 29th.

The Junior Orange Bowl Festival is possible with the support of the City of Coral Gables, Miami Children's Hospital, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and Board of County Commissioners. 

The Junior Orange Bowl Committee, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves the community of South Florida and the Youth of the world by providing opportunities for wholesome, competitive and multi-cultural experiences.

For more information or to obtain a schedule of upcoming events, please contact the Junior Orange Bowl Committee at (305) 662-1210 or go to www.jrorangebowl.com.