Rice Marketing Department Earns Award
6/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 28, 2006
Athletic Management magazine web site
Athletic Management's top collegiate promotions of 2005-06
The Rice Athletics marketing department has been recognized for producing one of the best game-day promotions in the country with its popular baseball event "Kids Take Over The Park," according to the July issue of Athletic Management magazine.
The magazine listed the best game-day promotions in collegiate athletics from all over the country during the 2005-06 school year. The "Kids Take Over The Park" event staged by the Rice marketing department for the Owls' home baseball game on April 22 was one of six recognized by the publication. To help promote the game, children from ages six to 13 were encouraged to sign up to help do the tasks associated with the running of the event - including take tickets, serve as ushers, program vendors and members of the grounds crew. Kids also worked the scoreboard, did the public address and radio broadcast.
The promotion drew more than 100 kids, who were in turn accompanied by several ticket-buying family members for a game attendance figure that approached 3,200. Athletic Management gave Rice high marks for successfully creating a family friendly environment that also promoted the game and added to its attendance total.
"Kids Take Over The Park" was organized by Rice associate athletics director Mike Pede' and has been an annual affair at Rice baseball since 1998. Pede thanked his marketing staff for executing the award-winning promotion.
"A lot of work by a lot of people went into it well beforehand and I'm glad their efforts were recognized," Pede said. "I know the marketing staff did a great job because all the kids who were here that day had a great time at a Rice sporting event. 'Kids Take Over The Park' grown every year and I imagine it will be even bigger and better next year."