BUFFALO, N.Y., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The host Western Region took
home 175 gold medals and 440 total medals to win the events medal count
at the 19th annual Empire State Games in Buffalo.  The Central Region
came in second with 240 total medals, while New York City finished
second in golds with 91.  The following is a complete listing of this
year's regional medal results:

        REGION          Gold    Silver   Bronze   Total
        Western          175     163      102      440
        Central           61      90       89      240
        New York City     91      58       77      226
        Hudson Valley     64      79       83      226
        Adirondack        61      73       80      214
        Long Island       70      52       82      204

    "We were very happy to be in Buffalo for the first time since '85
and '86," said Frederick Smith, director of the Empire State Games.  "I
think the competition went very, very well.  The response we got from
the athletes was the facilities they competed at and the competition
they faced were just excellent this year.  The weather cooperated and
we're very pleased all around."
    "The economic impact was there," added Tim Maloney, co-vice chairman
of the local organizing committee.  "We know if we sold 4,500 master
passes to people outside of the Western Region, that translates into $3
million - $5 million dollars, and we know there were a few more (master
passes) than that."  Maloney also expressed the importance of continuing
to secure  corporate sponsorship to help the Games thrive.
    Future sites for the summer games will be in Albany next year, then
in Rochester.  As for 1999, offers are being looked at from Binghamton,
Long Island, and the Canton-Potsdam area.  A proposal has also been sent
to New York City.
    The New York Lottery is the primary sponsor of the 1996 Empire State
Games.  The games are a natural extension of the Lottery's educational
sponsorship, which last year raised more than $1.5 billion in support of
primary and secondary public schools throughout New York.
    Full results of the events are available at the Empire State Games
World Wide Web Site (http://www.empiregames.org).