Junior Orange Bowl

The Junior Orange Bowl is a non-profit organization based in Coral Gables, Florida that holds the Junior Orange Bowl International Youth Festival, a series of events held for the Youth of South Florida and the World. The oldest and most popular event of the Junior Orange Bowl International Youth Festival is the Junior Orange Bowl Parade in downtown Coral Gables.

Known as "The Largest International Youth Sports and Arts Festival,” the Junior Orange Bowl Youth Festival blossomed in 1948 when the first Junior Orange Bowl Parade journey through beautiful downtown Coral Gables. This was the beginning of a festival that is totally dedicated to "Celebrating Youth".

The first Junior Orange Bowl Queen, Sandy Wirth, was selected in 1951. The 12- and 13-year-old girls were, and continue to be, judged on poise, personality and presentation. Presently, preliminary pageants take place from Key West to as far north as Vero Beach. In 1959 the Junior Orange Bowl Committee was officially formed.

The sixties marked the introduction of several new events. In 1948 the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship was established for boys and girls that are 13 and under. Now a 14 and over and 12 and over tournament, over the years the draw has included several great players who have gone on to gain stardom on the professional circuit. Tennis greats Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, Mary Joe Fernandez, Monica Seles, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf have all played in the tournament.

1964 was the inaugural year for the Invitational Golf Tournament. Top U.S. and foreign players 18 years and younger compete in this event which is now recognized as one of the world's most prestigious junior golf tournaments. This invitational has produced such tour stars as Andy North, Craig Stadler, Hal Sutton, Mark Calcavecchia, Bob Tway, Billy Mayfair, Willie Wood, and José María Olazábal, of Spain who won the 1994 Masters Tournament. The golf tournament continues to draw rising champions; Tiger Woods was the 1991 winner.

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