The Badger State Summer Games are moving to the Fox Valley in 2009, a move that organizers hope will inject enthusiasm and new sponsorship dollars into the annual amateur sports festival.
The event has been held in Madison for the first 23 years of existence and gets one last run in the capital city this summer.
The Wisconsin Sports Development Corp., which coordinates the Games from its Madison offices, announced Wednesday a three-year commitment to Appleton and surrounding areas. The agreement was buoyed by a $180,000 grant from the Fox Cities Sports Authority through its charitable fund.