CLEARWATER, Fla. — Hundreds of fans turned out for this year's Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.
Fans flocked from all over the country, filling the stands to cheer on their favorite team.
There was no question who Dee Harris was rooting for.
"What made you come out here today?" asked Tampa Bay 28 reporter Mary O'Connell.
"My daughter," said Harris. "She plays for LSU."
It's an event fans said they couldn't miss.
"Watch softball, eat, go sleep, come back, watch softball," said Harris.
"It's really similar to preseason Women's College World Series vibes," said Kathryn Wisor.
"It's just great family atmosphere, and it's great to support women's sports," said Mary Lawler.
Tampa Bay 28 caught up with Scott Glaser, the Executive Director with ESPN Events.
"It's year seven," said Glaser. "We host 16 teams over four days."
He spoke about the greater impact this event has on the surrounding area.
"We're four days, two sites, four fields, so over the course of those days, we're approximately 5,000 per day," said Glaser. "Typically, unique individuals. That adds up to about 20,000 actual fans. Now some people come to town, may not go to the games, so they're still in our hotels, they're eating our food, they're renting our cars, and they're certainly enjoying our beaches."
In addition to attracting visitors, Glaser noted that it's also about promoting softball in the community.
"We're on this side, you hear cheering on the other side, so you automatically turn around and see what's going on," said Harris. "If you have never experienced that college environment when you come to softball, it's good."
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