NEWS RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Erin Barrett or Nancy Greene, Brandon Advertising, (843) 916-2000
Andrea Dicks, Manager of Wish Granting,
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Toronto & Central Ontario, (877) 629-9474 x226
BOBBY LABONTE AND NASCAR SPEEDPARK ST. LOUIS, SHARE THE POWER OF A WISH® WITH TWO WISH KIDS AND THE MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION® OF METRO ST. LOUIS
September 6, 2006, St. Louis, Mo. - - - - - - -
Bobby Labonte, driver for Cheerios and official NASCAR SpeedPark spokesman, along with NASCAR SpeedPark St. Louis, the Official Family Fun Park of NASCAR, hosted seven-year-old Wish Child Christopher* and five-year-old Wish Child Elijah* for a private meet-and-greet and autograph session on Thursday, August 17.
NASCAR SpeedPark St. Louis hosted the boys as an exciting enhancement to their Wishes, which are scheduled to take place at the direction of each Wish family. Christopher, an avid NASCAR fan, will have his Wish of attending the Brickyard at Indy granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro St. Louis in 2007. Elijah will have his Wish to visit Disney World granted in October 2006.
"Our goal at NASCAR SpeedPark is to fulfill the wishes of NASCAR enthusiasts of all ages," said Tricia Wisbrock, marketing manager for NASCAR SpeedPark St. Louis. "By hosting various NASCAR drivers throughout the year, we hope to bring our guests closer to their wishes by actually coming face-to-face with their idols. Being able to grant the wishes of young Christopher and Elijah was so rewarding for us. The image of their faces lighting up when Bobby entered the room was a memorable experience for all involved."
About Make-A-Wish Foundation of St. Louis
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Metro St. Louis serves children battling life-threatening medical conditions in 48 counties in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois. The first Wish in this area was granted in 1986. Chapter status was granted in 1990.
Since this time, the Chapter has granted more than 1,900 Wishes to children, the majority of whom continue to thrive. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the Chapter responded to a pressing need to expand its physical presence on both sides of the Mississippi River. In the summer of 2000, they opened an Illinois Program Center in Collinsville, Illinois.
For more information on how to share the power of a wish® contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro St. Louis, call (314) 918-WISH (9474), 800-548-5058 or log onto www.stlouis.wish.org.
About NASCAR SpeedParks
NASCAR SpeedParks are located in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Concord, N.C., St. Louis, Mo., Sevierville, Tenn. and Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. As a top tourist attraction, each NASCAR SpeedPark location offers an abundance of NASCAR themed attractions including a variety of exciting tracks, NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway Simulators, kid-sized rides, rock climbing walls, lazer tag arenas, the state-of-the-art SpeedDome Arcade, children's indoor playgrounds, an officially-licensed NASCAR merchandise and apparel retail shop, the Pit Stop Grille, private party and meeting rooms, NASCAR Challenge Mini-Golf, and the Speed Bumper Boats. NASCAR SpeedPark is open year round. From the premier Mini-Motor Speedway track to the slick SlideWayz track, there is a track for everyone at NASCAR SpeedPark.
About International Speed Parks LLC
International Speed Parks LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Burroughs & Chapin Co., Inc. Burroughs & Chapin, a developer and operator of tourism and entertainment facilities in Myrtle Beach, S.C. for more than 100 years, is the worldwide licensee for NASCAR SpeedParks. As part of the partnership with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, each NASCAR SpeedPark has up to eight tracks and is tailored in size and nature to fit each community in which it is located.
Currently, International Speed Parks LLC encompasses five completed NASCAR SpeedParks. The world's first NASCAR SpeedPark opened in Myrtle Beach in 1998 and Sevierville, Tenn., is home to the second NASCAR SpeedPark, which opened in 1999. The third race-themed park opened at Concord Mills in Concord, N.C., the summer of 2003, making it the first time a NASCAR SpeedPark to become part of a shopping center atmosphere. NASCAR SpeedPark at St. Louis Mills, the fourth location, opened in November 2003. Burroughs & Chapin's partnership with NASCAR and The Mills Corporation is continuing to grow with the addition of the latest NASCAR SpeedPark at Vaughan Mills in Vaughan, Ontario, which opened in January 2005.
*Last names are withheld to protect the privacy of the Make-A-Wish families.
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