To the Editor:

For the past 20 years, a dedicated group of your neighbors has been orchestrating what is considered by many to be the top international amateur youth baseball event in the country right here in your own backyards. The McHenry County Youth Sports Association and the Summer International Championships will return to McHenry County on July 26.

More than 120 youth baseball teams from eight countries and across the U.S. will come to our communities and spend about $2 million in our hotels, restaurants and retail stores during a 10-day period, helping to boost our local economy and giving our local athletes the opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the world.