Sponsors and sports writers have long had an uneasy relationship. If you’ve ever chuckled at an absurd name of a bowl game, or heard a NASCAR driver ramble on for five minutes about how his Pennzoil Gatorade Coca-Cola Sonic Chevrolet helped him win the Bass Pro Shops NRA Spongebob Squarepants STP 400 powered by Coke Zero and presented by Subway, you know what I mean.

Today, however, we’re putting annoyance aside and giving our local businesses their just due. Without them, there are a number of events each year that simply could not exist.

If you go to the Run Thru History this Saturday in the Vicksburg National Military Park, take a look at the back of the official race T-shirt. WaterView Casino is the main sponsor, and dozens of other businesses will have smaller ads.

Later in the day, the Justin Henry Baseball Camp will take place at Halls Ferry Park. The Vicksburg Warren Athletic Association has helped organize the event by handling registration and other tasks, McDonald’s and Wal-Mart are providing lunch and snacks, and other businesses have chipped in financial support.

Throughout the year, different businesses do the same for a host of events. Ameristar Casino has long been a primary sponsor for the Over the River Run, and Guaranty Bank for the Chill in the Hills 10K. Cannon Toyota does a lot with the county’s high school sports teams.

Sponsoring events is not cheap. A single sponsorship can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, and there’s no shortage of events and teams that come calling.

Sponsor dollars, though, have a big ripple effect. Sponsorships often cover an event’s expenses, which allows money from registration and ticket sales to flow to other worthwhile causes.

The profits from the Run Thru History will help send teenagers to a YMCA conference in North Carolina this summer. The Justin Henry Camp is a fundraiser for Vicksburg Family Development, a local charity that offers services and programs for young children, teens and families.

So, the next time you see one a T-shirts with dozens of sponsors on it, find a few you like and throw a little business their way, or say thanks if you see the owner and employees in town. Without them, our sports scene — and our community — would be a much bleaker place.

•

Ernest Bowker is a sports writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com