President Donald Trump will be in Northeast Ohio Tuesday for a high school sports competition called the “Patriot Games."
The event is bringing 120 high school athletes — one boy and one girl from each state and territory — to Ashtabula County to compete for up to $125,000 each in scholarships.
The Patriot Games kicked off over the weekend at Spire Academy, a private boarding school and sports training facility located in Harpersfield Township in Ashtabula County. Ohio’s contestants are from Hudson and Cincinnati, according to the students' posts on social media.
The event, created by the Trump-backed Freedom 250 public-private organization that created the UFC event on the White House lawn, isn’t without controversy, drawing comparisons on social media to the fictional "Hunger Games" books and movies. A different, bipartisan commission called America250 formed by Congress in 2016 was not involved with the creation of the event.
Applicants also submitted online videos answering questions that gauged more than just their athleticism, appearing to test their overall patriotism and connection to the country, according to a CNN report. Some athletes are also representing states and areas that they don't actually reside in.
Ashtabula County Commissioner Casey Kozlowski, a Republican and former Ohio state representative, said the county is buzzing with excitement around the games and Trump's visit. He said visitors coming into the region for the Patriot Games will be a boost to the local economy, and to the area's profile. He said he's strived to "put politics aside" with the games.
"Obviously, when you add a presidential element such as a visit from the president here, of course, sometimes politics sadly gets involved in these things, which just kind of happens naturally nowadays," he said. "But I will tell you the fact that these games are happening here, really, and with the young athletes that are participating, the focus should be on the athletes and the young folks that are participating. And I think that's really where we need to center our efforts and I'm just so pleased it's happening. I think it's a good thing that this event's happening."
Officials with Spire Academy did not respond to several requests for comment sent Monday morning.
