Bandits Surpass 2008 Attendance
Published on August 21, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release
Despite a lackluster economy and the dangers of a year-two lull, the Quad Cities River Bandits have significantly increased attendance for the second consecutive season, leaving the club on pace to draw more than 230,000 fans in 2009.
Thursday night's crowd raised the year-to-date total attendance to 207,985, surpassing the 2008 mark of 207,048 with six home games remaining. The River Bandits project another double-digit percentage increase in total attendance and are on track to put together the fifth largest-drawing season in franchise history. At the conclusion of the year, the 2009 season will be the first in which Quad Cities has drawn more than 210,000 in total attendance or 3,500 in per-game attendance since 1995.
"We are so grateful to our fans for their outstanding support all season long," said team owner Dave Heller. "Our fantastic staff has worked hard to improve our promotions, our food offerings, our in-game entertainment and our customer service, and people are taking notice. And we have developed unique and fan-friendly areas that have improved the fan experience at Modern Woodmen Park. But for all of the changes that we have made this year and last, we have many more new and exciting things planned for 2010. I can hardly wait!"
Another dramatic attendance increase is no small feat considering the lofty accomplishments of the 2008 season. In the first year following an ownership change, the newly rebranded River Bandits increased per-game attendance by 56 percent and total attendance by 39 percent in 2008 despite having to contend with two significant floods from the Mississippi River.
Year two has been even more prolific. On July 3, a crowd of 7,538 marked the highest single-game attendance since the turn of the century. It was one of three crowds that eclipsed the 7,000-fan plateau and six that drew more than 6,000 fans. Quad Cities broke the 200,000-fan mark on August 17, a full two weeks earlier than in 2008 when the milestone was not reached until August 31.
"It's hard to believe that summer is coming to an end, but it has been another fantastic season at Modern Woodmen Park," said Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman. "Our fans have had a blast and we've been getting great feedback from them. And just as important, the River Bandits are once again a cornerstone of the Quad Cities community and Modern Woodmen Park is an important central location for community events. Our first two seasons running this franchise have been extremely productive, but I think our fans and sponsors are really going to like the new promotions and improvements that we have been hatching for 2010. We can't wait for next season to get here!"
UP NEXT: The first 1,500 fans to Friday's game will take home a Rascal wind-up doll thanks to MidWestOne Bank and everybody will enjoy post-game fireworks. Saturday is Jimmy Buffett Night, as the River Bandits will wear special Hawaiian-style jerseys that will be auctioned off during an in-game silent auction to benefit Genesis Health System's Flu Free Quad Cities campaign. After the game, the Fry Daddies will hit the stage for a live concert. The homestand concludes on the final U.S. Bank Family Sunday of the year with a Tailz âEr Waggin' Dog Day of Summer featuring a Dog House giveaway!
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The Quad Cities River Bandits drew more than 103,000 fans in the first half of the season for only the third time in team history. Ticket sales, concessions, merchandise sales, sponsorships and even Kids' Zone revenues are all up over last season, which was one of the team's best in history! Banditwear, mini-plans, and individual game tickets are on sale for the 2009 season by calling (563) 3-BANDIT or heading to www.RiverBandits.com. But hurry - good seats are going fast!
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