The City of Andalusia’s Department of Leisure Services will host a pair of Dixie Leagues state tournaments in the month of July and are looking for people and businesses to help make them special events.

“It’s a really good opportunity for not only or league, but the city as a whole to host these tournaments,” Leisure Services director Caitlin Shipman said. “The two tournaments will bring a lot of people into our economy for about a two-week period.”

The first of the two tournaments will be the Dixie Darling 8U state championship that will run from July 7-11.

The second tournament will be the Dixie Boys Ozone that will run from July 14-18.

“There is a 12-team max for the girls’ state tournament and that will bring around 180 players and coaches,” Shipman said. “Last year, this boys’ division had 16 teams. There could be less than that, but that would bring around 240 players and coaches. Those numbers don’t include the family members and friends that will also come.”

Shipman said that there are a few different ways for people and business to help with the event.

“We are asking businesses for items that we can put in a goody bag,” Shipman said. “Anything they may have like coupons or other promotional items that we can give out to the players. We are also going to do a special price for advertisement for the programs. Since they are so close together, business will get in both programs for the price of what it would normally cost to be in one.”

Shipman said that this is looking forward to hosting to the tournament.

“We have only been back in Dixie for a few years now, and the Dixie directors said they are excited to have us back,” Shipman said. “They came to look at our facilities and said that we had some of the best in the state. They said they are excited to have us hosting and we are very excited to have the opportunity to show off our wonderful city to all of the different families that the tournaments will bring.”