Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful has announced the cancellation of its annual mud volleyball tournament, citing an inability to reach an agreement with city officials in Roscoe over concerns about alcohol consumption at the event.
The tournament, which has been running since 1981, has been attended by generations of families. Typically, thousands of people flock to Roscoe's Riverside Park each year to watch about 160 teams compete, said Corinne Sosso, education coordinator for Keep Southern Illinois Beautiful.
“This is a really fun and unique event that people look forward to all year long,” Sosso said. “It's very sad for us.”
more: Tailgating and drinking could prompt changes to annual Rockford area mud volleyball event
But after a crash last year that allegedly involved a drunk driver, Roscoe city officials wanted to make changes.
Trustee Roscoe wanted KNIB to hire a licensed vendor and limit the sale and consumption of alcohol to beer tents.
They also asked for the volleyball courts to be relocated further within the park and away from the parking lot.
Sosso said Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful agreed to all the changes village officials wanted to implement.
But relocating the mud volleyball field will come at a cost to the organization. She estimated the cost at more than $10,000, but she decided the organization couldn't afford it.
Mud volleyball tournaments typically generate as much as 15% of an organization's fundraising income.
Organizers hope to bring the tournament back in 2025, but it is unclear where it will be held.
Messages left with Roscoe officials seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register-Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, email jkolkey@rrstar.com, and X. @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared in the Rockford Register Star: Roscoe calls for changes to mud volleyball tournament after car crash