For the past several years, the Classic has brought more than $1 million annually into the county, and it continues to grow and gain in stature, not just in Ohio but throughout the nation, where it has been dubbed the best girls basketball showcase in the nation, and has been attended by the likes of ESPN, Nike and other national sports conglomerates, as well as hundreds of scouts and college coaches.

This past week, Classic promoter Dave Schlabach met with the Holmes County commissioners to discuss the possibilities of the county continuing its support through the bed tax grant money it has awarded the Classic since its inception.

Last year the commissioners awarded the Classic $8,000, which was generated from bed tax dollars.  That entire amount went into promoting the event.

"We are so appreciative of the support we receive from the county and for the bed tax money," said Schlabach.  "And we appreciate the support we get from the community.  This is a great opportunity for our county, and we had more than 300 volunteers last year, including many from the west side of the county.

That's important to us because this isn't just an East Holmes event; it's a Holmes County event."

Schlabach went on to say that there are three driving forces behind the success of the Classic: the Hiland Athletic Department, his program and Tom Jenkins, noting that it wouldn't be anywhere as successful if any of those three entities were absent, and the volunteers didn't play the role they do.

But the crux of Schlabach's visit was to find out if the commissioners were committed to the event.

"The one reason we want to continue to seek support from the commissioners is that one year we are going to hit some bad weather," said Schlabach.  "How specific can you guys be for future dollars.  I know it's a great investment for the community."

Commissioner Joe Miller said that they remain highly committed to providing funding through the bed tax grants for the Classic, due to the fiscal importance it has gained -- specifically in the winter -- during a time when tourism is at its lowest throughout the county.

"What I look at is the people who are directly affected by the Classic because of the bed tax grant money, and the hotel and bed & breakfast constituents that collect bed tax money love it," said Miller.  "Me personally, I'd like to keep it at the same level."

According to Schlabach, the Classic continues to grow in notoriety.  He said that in January alone, the Classic website received more than 125,000 hits, and the event came up numerous times with both he and Jenkins during the State tournament weekend.

Schlabach and Jenkins continue to hold their event to lofty standards, and have set a goal of having ESPN air their very first live high school girls game via the Classic.

As for the impact locally, commissioner Ray Feikert said that the value of the event cannot be underestimated, and their role in providing funding to promote it is important, and the bed tax is perfectly suited to help provide funding.

"This has to be one of the largest, if not the largest event we have in Holmes County in terms of bringing people into the area," said Feikert.

"And because of the time of the year it takes place, we have to have something like this to lean on."