We need your help.

In a couple of weeks, Greater Des Moines will be bustling with student-athletes, coaches and fans from all over for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regional Championship at Wells Fargo Arena. Those games will take place March 24-26.

A few months later, our city will see another round of student-athletes, coaches and fans from across the United States attending the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium, June 6-9.

We need your help filling the seats at both events.

Greater Des Moines has an opportunity to make a big impact that could bring substantial long-term benefits to our city. With each successful NCAA event we host, our region enhances its ability to host future large-scale events such as the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials in 2016 and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional Championship.

With each event, we’re watched closely. Attendance, community support and our hospitality are monitored to see if Greater Des Moines brings our “A” game to win the ongoing support of athletes, coaches and fans. We’ve been doing well, but we need your help to do better.

Judgment of our performance goes nationwide through television coverage. Though we can’t always control the angles of the lenses, we can help fill the stadium and arena so Greater Des Moines screams of fan support for the visiting athletes.

The athletes want to compete in cities where the community embraces their sport. The swell of a crowd cheering for them is a memory they’ll associate with the city for years to come.

Economically, bringing these types of visitors into Greater Des Moines makes sense – their spending amounts to $1.6 billion annually in economic impact. For each dollar received from the hotel/motel tax, there’s a return on investment of $29.18. This is money that visitors pour directly into our local restaurants, attractions, shopping and retail areas, hotels and transportation during their time in Greater Des Moines. The hospitality industry in Polk and Dallas counties accounts for 16,000 jobs. Each visitor to our city helps keep our residents employed, new dollars rolling in and the continuous building of a stronger community.

If you can’t attend the events yourself, consider purchasing tickets and donating them to a local nonprofit or a group of kids who otherwise wouldn’t be able to see world-class athletes compete. If you can’t purchase tickets, volunteer and get involved as a city ambassador.

Whatever you can do to support these sports, now is the time to show the world that Greater Des Moines has game.

To learn more about corporate ticket packages or to volunteer, contact Greg Edwards at gedwards@desmoinescvb.com.

Jay Byers is the CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Greg Edwards is the CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.