FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2004
ontact Toni Kellar 740-435-3335

 DEERASSIC CLASSIC GIVEAWAY WEEKEND FEATURES FREE CONCERT AUGUST 6

  CAMBRIDGE – A free outdoor concert by noted Nashville band Third Wheel will be part of the Deerassic Classic Giveaway Kick-Off Party Friday, August 6, at the Deerassic Park Education Center on US Route 22 east of Cambridge .

 The Kick-Off Party is part of the Deerassic Classic Giveaway weekend fundraiser to benefit the non-profit National Whitetail Deer Education Foundation, which supports the outdoor education park. Last year’s one-day event drew 11,500 people to the park – the largest known single gathering of people in Guernsey County . This year’s event has been expanded to two days.

 Third Wheel’s high-energy show features three lead singers who come together with notable harmonizing and a powerful and entertaining stage show of solid cover hits and original country music, with hints of Southern and classic rock mixed in. Their sound has been likened to a mixture of the Eagles, Diamond Rio, and Garth Brooks .

 Nashville Music Guide describes Third Wheel’s show as “a high-octane stage presence, keeps the audience wanting more.”

 Spokesperson Irlene Mandrell, of the famous Mandrell Sisters, will kick off the Friday festivities during a pre-show at 5:30 p.m. The drawing of 25 winning numbers for the Big Buck Bonus Ticket raffle follows at 6 p.m., with the top prize of a 2004 H2 Hummer. The Third Wheel concert tops off the night’s entertainment from 7 to 10 p.m. There will also be additional side raffles for quality prizes, large Event TV screen, and food available for purchase. The entire event is free. Big Buck Bonus tickets may be purchased separately.

 Only those 18 and older may be admitted to the Kick-Off Party and concert because of raffle sales taking place on site. Attendees should bring chairs or blankets for seating.

 Overnight primitive camping is available Friday and Saturday nights at the park for $10 a night.

 The fundraising weekend concludes with the Deerassic Classic Giveaway drawing Saturday, August 7. Pre-show is at 11 a.m., featuring spokesperson Irlene Mandrell and other highlights and surprises. The drawing of two hundred winning numbers will begin at noon and conclude at 6 p.m. with the drawing of the top prize of $50,000 cash. Other prizes include six four-wheel drive vehicles, eight ATVs, over $50,000 in other cash prizes, 20 vacation packages, two Harley Davidsons, $12,000 in gift certificates, 56 guns, camping trailers, boats, computers, and much, much more -- all on one ticket. A prize will be given away approximately every minute and forty-five seconds.

 Saturday’s Classic, which is free with a Deerassic Classic ticket, or $20 at the gate, features free barbecue-style food cooked on the premises by Cowboy Dan Concessions, free soft drinks and bottled water, side raffles, a large Event TV screen, and the Horton Crossbow Celebrity Challenge.

 Individuals may try the Horton Crossbow range Saturday for $5 a ticket, which also enters the participant in a side raffle drawing for 10 prizes. A bull’s-eye hit earns a second free ticket.

 Only those 18 and older may be admitted to the Deerassic Classic Giveaway.

 Deerassic Classic Giveaway tickets are $100 each. Big Buck Bonus Tickets are $40 each, or $25 when purchased with a Classic ticket. Ticket sales are limited to 10,000, and only about 800 remain. Drawings are ping-pong ball style, so any number could win more than once.

 All proceeds benefit the non-profit NWDEF and the Deerassic Park Education Center ’s education programs and infrastructure development, including the construction of the Ohio Whitetail Hall of Fame Museum.

 Tickets for both drawings are available by calling the Deerassic Classic hotline at 740-435-9500, online at www.deerassic.com, in person at Dunning Motor Sales on Route 209 South in Cambridge , Ohio , or by mail at NWDEF, 14250 Cadiz Rd. , Cambridge , OH 43725 .

 A complete list of prizes, rules and details can be found at www.deerassic.com.

 THE HORTON CROSSBOW CELEBRITY CHALLENGE

 One of the Deerassic Park Education Center ’s goals is to offer outdoor education programs in schools and at the park. To achieve this, “The Outside Is In” Education Fund has been created to help subsidize schools that cannot afford full program fees.

 Representatives from Horton Crossbow, the leading crossbow manufacturer in the nation, with Irlene Mandrell, will join the NWDEF Saturday at the Classic to help raise money solely for this education fund.

 A $1,000 sponsorship includes a private breakfast with Irlene Mandrell at Pine Lakes Lodge, a signed photo with Mandrell, two admission passes to the Classic, a grand entry on horse-drawn wagon, tickets to the hospitality tent, and your or your company’s name on 17-foot Event TV screen during the Classic, in addition to participation in the Horton Crossbow Celebrity Challenge competition. The winner will get a chance to shoot against Irlene Mandrell.

 For more information about sponsorship opportunities at the Deerassic Classic Giveaway, including Gold and Silver Sponsorships, contact Lynn Abrams-Spilker at 740-435-3335.