“On behalf of our Chairman Faron Kelley and our entire Board of Directors, we are so thankful that Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute has invested yet again in celebrating women within our sports ecosystem. We are so pleased to honor Sharon, Katie, Amy, Ali and Jessica for their passion, leadership and dedication to Greater Orlando’s sports community. We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Rizzotti as the featured speaker for this year’s luncheon. With our community hosting NCAA March Madness tournament games at Amway Center in 2023, it will be wonderful to have one of the legends of the sport join us in September.”

-Jason Siegel, President & CEO

Greater Orlando Sports Commission

See Celebrating Women in Sports story below...

Around The Horn.

• Congratulations to the 2022 class of honorees for this year's Celebrating Women in Sports luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute! The luncheon is being held on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at UCF's Addition Financial Arena and will include a fireside chat with featured speaker presented by Florida Blue, Jennifer Rizzotti, President of the Connecticut Sun WNBA team. Click here to read more about the 2022 honorees, and click here to purchase a table or individual tickets to the luncheon. 
• Women in Sports Leadership Award
• Sharon Line Clary, AdventHealth
• Katie Stocz Miller, Orlando Magic & WISE Greater Orlando
• Amy Wise, 2022 Special Olympics USA Games
• Rising Star Award
• Ali Anderson, Orlando Magic
• WISE Women of Inspiration Award
• Jessica West, Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride & Exploria Stadium
• UCF football begins Year 2 under Gus Malzahn against South Carolina State on Thursday night as the Knights aim to open a seventh consecutive season with a win under their belt.
• Kyle Smith scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time as host Orlando City defeated the Seattle Sounders 3-2 on Wednesday night.
• Red Bull Double or Nothing brings the best wakeboarders in the world to Orlando in a winner-take-all, best trick competition, encouraging each athlete to go big and push the sport to levels never seen before. Wakeboard legend Parks Bonifay is the mastermind behind Red Bull Double or Nothing. The event will be held in downtown Orlando at Lake Ivanhoe on September 17, and is open to spectators to watch from Gaston Edwards Park, completely free of charge.
• As part of the Orlando Magic and AdventHealth's continuing commitment to health and wellness, the DeVos family, Magic and AdventHealth unveiled the state-of-the-art AdventHealth Training Center. The new downtown facility will serve as the training site for the Orlando Magic and a destination sports medicine hub to Central Florida.
• WISE Within, the national signature program of Women In Sports & Events (WISE), offers members the opportunity to accelerate professional development by connecting in a one-to-one focused mentoring relationship. WISE Greater Orlando is seeking potential mentees who want to take their career to the next level as well as experienced professionals who are interested in becoming a mentor. Both mentees and mentors must be members of WISE to apply, and the application deadline is September 2, 2022.
• For the first time at UCF, all home football games will feature a Spanish radio broadcast that fans can access through a link on the Knights’ athletic website. UCF vice president and athletics director Terry Mohajir said the move to include a Spanish broadcast at football games is part of the university’s plan to better serve its Hispanic community.
• Early mornings on Lake Fairview, a number of different boats hit the still water including the Orlando Dragon Boat Club. Charlie Goodnough grew up on the water, but stumbled upon the sport of dragon boat by accident. He tried it out and was hooked immediately: so much so that he went out for the USA Team tryouts and made the roster.
• Serena Williams ousts No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit in the 2nd round of the U.S. Open. Is she a contender to win her final tournament? 

• The Lakeland Magic, NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, will be hosting a local player tryout in Winter Haven on September 18 at the AdventHealth Fieldhouse, and in Orlando on September 25, at the RDV Sportsplex Athletic Club. Local player tryouts provide athletes the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of Lakeland Magic coaches and basketball staff.
• The NBA will be off on Election Day. The league’s schedule for the coming season will have all 30 teams playing on Nov. 7, the night before the midterm elections. The NBA is hoping teams use that night as an opportunity to encourage fans to get out and vote, plus amplify the need for civic engagement.

In The News.

• Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 5 City Commissioner Regina I. Hill were on hand to help open Luminary Green Park at Creative Village earlier this week. This 2.3-acre park located at downtown’s Creative Village will be a unique and special gathering space for residents, workers and students that will compliment Parramore and serve as a signature park in downtown for generations to come.
• Congratulations to our corporate partner Berman Hopkins CPAs & Associates, who has been recognized as a 2022 IPA 300 Firm and 2022 IPA 300 Fastest-Growing Firm by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA).
• It's easy to find yourself inspired by art in Lake Nona. From the Lake Nona Sculpture Garden to colorful murals and live entertainment, there's always something new to discover. Visit Orlando recently interviewed the visionary behind some of Lake Nona's most iconic artwork, international artist and Lake Nona resident JEFRË.  
• Congratulations to our corporate partner Icon Park on being named the Best I-Drive Attraction in Orlando Weekly's "2022 Best of Orlando" edition.
• 10Best searched high and low for the best hotels, best hotel amenities and best resorts across the United States by inviting a panel of hotel and travel experts to nominate their top picks. For the last four weeks, readers were asked to vote for their favorite in each category. Congratulations to The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Spa  for being voted as one of the winners!
• Congratulations to GO Sports Board Member Didier Menard, VP/South Region Director of Government Affairs for Jacobs, who was named an honoree in Onyx Magazine's 2022 Men of Honor.
• Three young members of the Boys and Girls Club got the opportunity of a lifetime on Saturday, as they watched dancers with the National Ballet of Ukraine perform at the Dr. Phillips Center of Performing Arts. Organizers said 100% of ticket sales and sponsorships will benefit the people of Ukraine. 
• Revenge of the Mummy has reopened at Universal Orlando Resort, and fans of this popular attraction are overjoyed! Fans of the Revenge of the Mummy will finally get their cup of coffee as the Universal Studios Florida coaster carried out a soft reopening on August 30.
• As Disney continues its progress on the massive transformation of Epcot, the company has shared new details about the “Moana”-inspired attraction coming to the park. The exploration trail will let visitors learn about the natural water cycle through interactive fountains and other water elements.
• The UCF Board of Trustees recently approved the use of state funds to begin planning a high-tech, 90,000-square-foot College of Nursing building in Lake Nona. The new space doubles the current capacity and will allow UCF to educate more nurses to address the critical nursing shortage. Learn more about the latest addition to Lake Nona's health and life sciences cluster. 
• Royal Caribbean Group will now allow those who work remotely to take their work on cruise ships as they have adopted SpaceX’s Starlink internet technology, a first in the cruise industry. The "high-speed, low-latency connectivity" will allow "for a better onboard experience for guests and crew fleetwide," the Group said in a statement Tuesday.
• A wounded Central Florida veteran is showing his gratitude after moving into his new custom-built home. Cameras captured the moment a yellow ribbon was cut outside U.S. Army Sgt. Chad Rozanski’s new house on Saturday. The nonprofit group Homes for Our Troops bought and fully customized the home in Orange County.

Stay Engaged.

• Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining returns Friday, August 26 through Sunday, October 2 with 102 restaurants offering three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for $40. Celebrating its 17th year, the popular annual dining program supports area restaurants and donates $1 from every meal served to a local nonprofit organization.

• Downtown gallery CityArts will host a Bridgerton-themed party on Saturday, September 24 at 7 pm as part of its annual La Maschera party series – its largest annual fundraiser. The evening will feature artwork themed on locations from the show as well as live music by Violectric, dancing, interactive character entertainment, photo opportunities, specialized cocktails, food, and more.
• The Bionic Me exhibit at the Orlando Science Center has interactive elements that help educate adults and children, inspiring the future innovators of technology that helps improve mobility. The interactive exhibits demonstrate the design and biomechanics behind prosthetics, on display now through September 5. 
• The YMCA of Central Florida will be inviting residents to try their facilities free of charge in September as part of a new initiative. Free Fridays will take place every Friday during the month of September and will allow residents to visit any and all YMCA locations in the region for no charge.
• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has already begun! Join your favorite Disney Characters for an evening of spirited fun, and get your favorite costume ready! Guests can collect candies and treats while Magic Kingdom park thrills and chills you with eerie entertainment, delightful attractions, and some beloved Disney Characters.
• Universal Orlando has announced the final details for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights 31, revealing all the houses, zones, and shows guests can experience at the event, taking place on select nights from September 2 thru October 31, 2022.
• Synapse Orlando 2022 is the largest innovation conference of the year presented by the Orlando Tech Council and Falcon's Beyond, returns to unite the region’s thriving tech community on October 21. With a special focus on how Orlando’s talent and companies are developing the building blocks of the Metaverse, the day of hands-on exhibits, workshops and inspiring thought leaders will again take place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
• Like a passport specially for your palate, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is a magical taste tour—one that whisks you off on a fun and flavorful journey across six continents. So come sip and savor your way through EPCOT, as you delight in some of your favorite flavors, and try plenty of new ones along the way.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.
• Universal Orlando's Florida resident specials include discounts on vacation packages as well as a free day at the theme park through December as part of a limited time bargain. Florida residents who snap up a '2-park, 2-day' ticket to Universal between now and Sept. 28 can get a third, free day as part of their purchase.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, joined Mayor Dyer and the City of Orlando  Commissioners for the swearing in ceremony of new City of Orlando Police Chief, Eric Smith

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, joined Mayor Dyer, the DeVos family, Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins, and countless other partners for the Grand Opening of the Orlando Magic's new state of the art AdventHealth Training Center

GO Sports Executive Vice President Jennifer Lastik attended the Orlando Economic Partnership's All Women Empowered (AWE) Impact Forum earlier this week, pictured here with Bridget Keefe of Orlando Health, and Rose DiDonato and Jo Newell from OEP

GO Sports Executive Vice President Jennifer Lastik attended the opening of Luminary Green Park at Creative Village earlier this week. Mayor Dyer and Commissioner Hill spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony for this unique new green space in Downtown Orlando 

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Board Member Mike Harris joined Gordon Kaye from Joola for a pickleball lesson at the Gaylord Palms, and met Ben Johns, the #1 ranked player in the world

Congratulations to our friend and partner Eric Blanc, who was just named Deputy Director at the Orange County Convention Center! Pictured here with GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, Board Member Mike Waterman (Visit Orlando), and OCCC's Executive Director, Mark Tester

Fun & Games.

• Orlando 2022-23 Arts Season Preview: Concert & Comedy Tours
• Indoor Activities in Orlando
• Fall Events in Orlando: Food, Festivities & Halloween Fun