NHPA thrilled with Cedar Rapids as host

CEDAR RAPIDS - It appears Cedar Rapids served as a good host for the 2010 National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World tournament the last two weeks.

NHPA President Stuart Sipma said the event organizers were excellent in all areas, including preparation, community support and promotion. As the tournament concluded Saturday at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, Sipma said Cedar Rapids rates among the best hosts the event has had in his time with the organization.

“Hats off to Cedar Rapids and all the volunteers for all their hard work and making this a successful tournament,” Sipma said. “I'm very happy. Very pleased.”

Plenty of people seemed to express their pleasure with how the two-week tournament was run.

“They thanked us for the play area and the hospitality,” Host director Ralph Palmer said. “Enough that we're being asked if we're going to bid on it again.”

Palmer, the president of the Ar-Jay Center, needs time to recover from the event to decide whether he'll plan efforts to get the tournament to return. Sipma said he would like to see the event come back here.

“I really would because of the geographic location and friendliness we've found here,” Sipma said. “Cedar Rapids is right in the heartland of horseshoes.”

Palmer praised the way the community responded to support and welcome the more than 1,260 pitchers that attended. Palmer said he heard many compliments, including stories of a couple traveling to the event lost a muffler and tailpipe on the way in and a local store manager opened his shop early and serviced their car for a discount and another local businessman who replaced a valve stem of a tire on a visiting pitcher's car for free.

“Those were the welcome signs the citizens and businesses of Cedar Rapids gave these people,” Palmer said. “The community has embraced that.”

The Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, especially Director of Sports Tourism Mary Lee Malmberg, provided a lot of help.

“They possess knowledge and things that were tremendously helpful,” Palmer said.

Palmer praised the numerous volunteers, who helped make the tournament run smoothly. Their efforts will conclude Saturday night after opening a 53-foot trailer July 21 that contained all the equipment to start setup. It was also conclude a longtime effort by Palmer, who started trying to land this tournament back in 1988.

“If anyone says I'm not looking forward to tonight they're wrong. Tonight when I lay my head on the pillow, it will be a long time since 1988,” Palmer said. “It's been fulfilling, I've felt good about it.”