> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.sportsindustryinsider.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Utah 2034 Announces Support of Utah Youth Sports Giving Day - URL: https://www.sportsindustryinsider.com/utah-2034-announces-support-of-utah-youth-sports-giving-day/ - Published: 2026-08-25T14:10:39.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-25T15:49:06.000Z - Author: Matt Traub - Tags: News, Olympics For Utah 2034 Chief Executive Officer Brad Wilson, the announcement in downtown Daybreak felt familiar, driving on a Saturday morning to a youth sports event, this time at The Ballpark at America First Square. It was for approximately 20 years that Wilson, as a youth sports parent, would look forward during the week to a Saturday morning spent taking his kids to something sports related whether a tryout, a practice or a game. In its own way, Saturday was no different. The organizing committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games announced its participation and financial support of Utah Youth Sports Giving Day from September 12-26, the first step by Utah 2034 to support youth sport as part of its community impact programs. “Sports does something for not just the individual athletes,” Wilson said. “It does something for families. It also brings together our community, and we’ve seen the power of sport in this state and the love of sport in ways that very few places around the world see. The power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, not just that happened in 2002, but coming back here in seven and a half years, is a great example of how this amazing ecosystem around sports can make a big difference in the lives of our community.” “The legacy of 2034 doesn’t have to start for those few weeks that the Games are here,” added Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company and Vice Chair of Utah 2034\. “Legacy can start today. And it can start with impact on people’s lives, and that is certainly true of our youth.” The program, spearheaded by multiple Podium34 Captains, gives Utah youth sports organizations an opportunity to secure additional funding to match donations they raise in September. In addition to Utah 2034, major financial support has come from two Utah 2034 Podium34 Founding Captains, the Larry H. Miller Family Foundation and the Daniels Fund. Together, these supporters have committed over $1.5 million in matching funds, including a dollar-for-dollar match on the first $1 million raised. Utah Youth Sports Giving Day aims to generate $3 million in total support this year for Utah nonprofits serving youth through sports, including both funds raised by nonprofit sports organizations and the fund created through campaign partners. “Hopefully we produce some athletes that we see on a podium,” Starks said. “But more than that, we just want to create stronger families. And not everybody in our state has that opportunity. There are some families who are feeling left behind, the cost of sports is increasing. And so this initiative, with our friends at the Daniels Fund, is going to allow more organizations to listen, manage, support and will create greater access for people to participate in sports.” For more information, visit [utahyouthsportsgivingday.com](https://www.utahgives.org/community/utahyouthsports?ref=sportsindustryinsider.com) or [utah2034.org](https://utah2034.org/?ref=sportsindustryinsider.com). ## Olympic **Legacy Foundation CEO Memorialized** Colin Hilton, the President and CEO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, died suddenly Friday. His work helped carry the legacy of the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games forward through the venues, programs and relationships that continue to serve athletes and communities across the state. Colin’s passing hits hard for all of us throughout the Salt Lake Valley and the Utah sports landscape. He was a familiar face whenever I would attend events ranging from the Olympic Oval in Kearns to the biathlon venue in Midway, always with a smile and a handshake, wanting to know what I’ve been up to and where I was headed to next. He will be deeply missed. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/61/d4/61d4b429-1f23-4fd7-9623-81594f8b35f4/content/images/2026/08/08.25.26-Colin-Hilton.jpg) Colin Hilton, middle, died on Friday. He was 58\. Photo via Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. “I know I speak for the Olympic and Paralympic Movement in mourning the loss of our friend and colleague Colin Hilton,” said Fraser Bullock, President and Executive Chair, Utah 2034\. “Colin was a dear friend for 27 years and a true professional for us at the 2002 Winter Games. He played a key role in helping us win the bid for the 2034 Games. But where he really excelled was in elevating our legacy and bringing real value to communities. His legacy work is unparalleled in the world. He also used his role to bring together national and international winter sports leaders, strengthening our Utah 2034 team and adding greater value to all sports.” ## Inaugural **California Sports Summit Set for San Diego** The California Sports Coalition’s inaugural California Sports Summit will be at the InterContinental Hotel in San Diego from January 13-15, 2027\. The California Sports Summit will take place immediately following Sports ETA’s Chief Executive Summit in the destination. Educational sessions will cover topics from how to start a sports tourism arm within a destination office, to how to work effectively within the market and gain more sports tourism business, to a discussion of the State Sports Fund being advocated for in Sacramento. Additionally, it will feature a one-day trade show connecting destinations with sports event rights holders that have hosted — and will host — events in markets throughout the state. ## USA **Gymnastics Heading to Des Moines** The USA Gymnastics Championships are set to return to Des Moines in 2027, where the Iowa Events Center will host the country’s best acrobatic, rhythmic and trampoline and tumbling gymnasts from June 21-26\. The USA Gymnastics Championships serve as the national championship event for each discipline at Casey’s Center, while development athletes are featured at the Community Choice Convention Center. 2027 will mark the third time Des Moines has served as the site of the championships, previously hosting in 2019 and 2022\. Results also will factor into 2027 World Championships team selections for the rhythmic and trampoline and tumbling disciplines.