DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — Rashada LeRoy, a Dothan native, started her Birmingham-based event planning company or solution agency LRY Media Group five years ago and now they have produced The World Games.
“We do this all the time but this is definitely the biggest event,” LeRoy said.
It’s an international sporting event that started in 1981 — about 3600 of the top athletes in their sports from 150 countries will come to Alabama for the first time ever to showcase their skills for 11 days.
“The city of Birmingham went after this opportunity and LRY media group we were just one of the beneficiaries of it,” LeRoy said.
LRY Media won the bid to produce the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Games that’s expected to draw around 50,000 people — it will feature musical artists like Nelly, Lupe Fiasco, Reuben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, and more that will help tell the story of Birmingham and the state of Alabama.
Leroy said one of the goals for her minority women-owned business was to become more global.
“To say we can handle these types of events but most importantly Birmingham can handle these events,”
Although LeRoy and her company are getting national and statewide attention, Circle City should be proud too — which is where it all started.
The Northview Cougar learned life lessons on how to be an entrepreneur from her mother who started one of the first black newspapers in Dothan.
“It’s great to still take that with me and leave a legacy for people to come behind me,” She added.
LeRoy said it’s not a long shot to have Dothan play host for the World Games.
“I really have been thinking about how I can bring entertainment to Dothan,” She said. “What’s some unique things we are doing here that the city would like us to come down to do, so we’re certainly open for business and I know the city will receive us well so just bring me down there and the rest is history.”
LeRoy said she believes an event of this caliber will do well because the Wiregrass area shows up and show out for huge events.
