USA Wrestling awarded unique sponsorship with Elk Grove Village

After two seasons of sponsoring the Bahamas Bowl, Elk Grove Village, a municipality located roughly 20 miles northwest of Chicago, decided to do something even more unique than sponsoring a bowl game. This time around, Elk Grove Village wanted to find a way to support athletes as they pursue their dream of World and Olympic glory. Through a truly unique RFP process that was open to all National Governing Bodies, 12 NGBs submitted proposals that included written as well as video components in an effort to secure a one-year sponsorship with Elk Grove Village and the Makers Wanted campaign. Only three NGBs were awarded this honor; USA Wrestling, USA Track & Field, and USA Triathlon.

Elk Grove Village is home to the nation’s largest contiguous industrial park, a six-square mile expanse that is home to more than 5,600 businesses that employ 56,000 men and women and over 400 manufacturers that specialize in plastic, metal, food, tech and more.

The mayor of Elk Grove Village, Craig Johnson, is not only a wrestling alum from Elk Grove Village High School, but he also spent several years as the head wrestling coach at Elk Grove and started the Junior Grenadiers youth program in Elk Grove Village.

“As a lifelong fan of the sport, USA Wrestling holds a special place in my heart, and I am honored to welcome them into the Elk Grove Village family as part of our Makers Wanted initiative,” Mayor Johnson said. He continued, “Elk Grove Village understands the importance of community support—we use a Beyond Business Friendly approach to partner with our local businesses, and we’re proud to be able to extend this support to the athletes of USA Wrestling. The passion that wrestling fans have for the sport mirrors the passion our local makers and entrepreneurs show for their work every day.”

The sponsorship will include branding and other elements around a number of training camps in the lead up to the Olympics Games next summer in Tokyo. It will also feature clinics, athlete appearances, and other efforts geared towards engaging the community of Elk Grove Village. With Illinois boasting one of the largest USA Wrestling membership bases of any state, USA Wrestling is excited to work in familiar territory.

“We are thrilled to bring this unique partnership with Elk Grove Village to life, and in many ways it feels like we’ll be working in our own backyard,” USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender said. “The Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation is a cornerstone for USA Wrestling, which greatly enhances our ability to provide exceptional value to Elk Grove Village and the Makers Wanted Campaign. Wrestlers and entrepreneurs have a lot in common, and we look forward to creating something truly unique with Mayor Johnson and the team in Elk Grove Village.”

About Elk Grove Village
Elk Grove Village is home to the largest contiguous industrial park in the United States, featuring six square miles and 62 million square feet of inventory. Located adjacent to O'Hare International Airport and the City of Chicago, Elk Grove Village is served by all major Illinois interstates and freight rail. These location advantages are complimented by the Village’s ideal suburban setting, which affords a high quality of life for businesses and their employees.

The tagline Makers Wanted is the call-to-action for Elk Grove Village's thriving community and the thousands of businesses based there. Over 5,614 businesses, including 300 manufacturers specializing in metal, plastic, rubber and food manufacturing, call Elk Grove Village their home. It is also a top national destination for data centers in the U.S. with over 2.5 million square feet of inventory.

For more information on Elk Grove Village, visit www.elkgrove.org. For more information on Makers Wanted, visit www.makerswanted.org.

About USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling’s 250,000-plus membership is comprised of athletes of all ages, coaches, officials, parents and fans. On the elite level, USA Wrestling is responsible for the selection and training of teams to represent the U.S. in international competition, including the World Championships and Olympic Games. In 2017, USA Wrestling won the World Championships in Senior Men’s Freestyle and Junior Men’s Freestyle. On the developmental level, USA Wrestling fosters grassroots expansion of the sport, through the sanctioning of age-group tournaments and the chartering of wrestling clubs. National and regional championships are held for wrestlers from nine years old through the Senior level. For more information, visit www.TheMat.com.

For media inquiries, contact USA Wrestling Communications Director Gary Abbott at gabbott@usawrestling.org.