“Our stay with our son was filled with blessed through your hospitality. We thank God each day for the warmth, once provided by you. Thanks so much.”
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SACRAMENTO MONARCHS AND AREA COMMUNITY GROUPS WIN
2006 WNBA "COURT OF DREAMS" CONTEST
WNBA to Fund Construction of New Basketball Court at YMCA of Greater
Sacramento
Northern California Area Rotary Clubs, Local Kiwanis Clubs and the
YMCA of Greater Sacramento Join Forces to Win New Court
New York, July 26, 2006 - The WNBA and the Sacramento Monarchs turned a
dream into reality today as they announced the winner of the league-wide 2006 "Court of Dreams" contest. The Sacramento area Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs and YMCA was awarded an official regulation WNBA basketball court for selling the most group tickets to Monarchs games between May 20 and June 30, 2006.
"The Court of Dreams program, every year, reveals the depth of commitment our fans have to their teams and the passion they have for our game, said Donna Orender, WNBA President. "The Sacramento Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and the YMCA not only won this great opportunity for the youth of their community, but demonstrated that hard work, dedication and teamwork do pay off."
The annual promotional campaign involved community groups from each of the 14 WNBA team markets competing to sell the most tickets for local WNBA games through the program period. The Sacramento area Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs teamed up for the second consecutive year after coming in second place last year to the Washington Mystics. This time around, the Sacramento groups won by selling 6,284 tickets for Monarchs games between opening day and June 25.
"The Rotarians in Rotary District 5180 are extremely pleased at winning the 2006 WNBA Court of Dreams. Uniting with the Sacramento YMCA and the Kiwanis Clubs of the greater Sacramento area, we donated Monarchs tickets to deserving youth organizations throughout our community, and won a basketball court for the YMCA," said Doug Kraft, Co-Chair, Sacramento Court of Dreams, Rotary District 5180.
Added Gary Christensen, Kiwanis New Build Project Manager, "The Rotary and Kiwanis team were winners before we won the court with the accomplishment of bringing many deserving kids to a Monarchs game from the tickets that were sold. To win the court of dreams for the YMCA really was the ultimate reward that we worked for so many months to achieve."
As the winner of the Court of Dreams contest, the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs had the opportunity to select one of three prizes: a WNBA-identified basketball court, a Reading and Learning center or $10,000 cash. The group selected the court which will be built at the YMCA of Greater Sacramento.
"Once again, the Sacramento community showed how much they care about kids by working together to win this basketball court," said Ron Payne, General Director and CEO, YMCA. "The YMCA is very grateful that we will be able to expand our youth sports programs for children and families so they may have fun and develop character while playing basketball on the new court at the YMCA. Thank you to Rotary, Kiwanis and the Sacramento Monarchs for helping to make this happen." "We would like to personally thank Rotary, Kiwanis and the Sacramento YMCA for their amazing efforts to win this court" said Danette Leighton, Vice President, Marketing & Monarchs Business Operations. "Not only did they win a basketball court for the YMCA, but they were able to bring many deserving children in the Sacramento region to a Monarchs game to
be inspired and enjoy their first professional sports experience."
A special ceremony will take place at ARCO Arena on August 1st when the Sacramento Monarchs take on the Houston Comets at 7:00 p.m. PT. Members of the Sacramento Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs and the YMCA will be present to officially accept the prize and to tip off construction at the YMCA site.
About Rotary International
Rotary International is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 167 countries. Rotary District 5180 serves
the Sacramento area from Oroville and Gridley in the North to Elk Grove and Walnut Grove in the South, from West Sacramento to El Dorado Hills in the East with approximately 2,100 Rotarians participating in 37 clubs. To learn about Rotary International visit http://www.rotary.org/.
About Kiwanis Family House
Kiwanis Family House is dedicated to providing temporary housing and support to families of seriously ill or injured children being treated at the UC Davis Medical Center. For more information about Kiwanis Family House, please visit www.kiwanisfamilyhouse.org.
About the YMCA
Together, the nation's 2,594 YMCAs are the largest not-for-profit community service organization in America, working to meet the health and human service needs of 20.1 million men, women and children in 10,000 communities in the United States. YMCAs are at the heart of community life across the country: 42 million families and 72 million households are located within three miles of a YMCA.
About Maloof Sports and Entertainment
Maloof Sports & Entertainment is committed to making a positive and meaningful difference in the lives of people in-need and at-risk in the Sacramento area. The organization owns the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA) and ARCO Arena. For more information about Maloof Sports & Entertainment and the Sacramento Kings and Monarchs, visit www.kings.com or www.sacramentomonarchs.com.
About the WNBA
Featuring 14 teams and the greatest female basketball players from around the world, the WNBA is the longest-running and most successful women's professional team sports league in U.S. history. The WNBA's 10th Anniversary season includes appointment viewing on Tuesday nights as ESPN2 will televise 14 WNBA games - including five doubleheaders - on Tuesdays this spring/summer. WNBA games and programming also will be shown in 198 countries via 79 telecasters in 34 languages this season. The 2006
WNBA All-Star Game took place on July 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. For more information on the WNBA, log onto www.wnba.com.
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Contact: Christina Nishihara, WNBA, (212) 407-8079, cnishihara@nba.com
Jaime Morse Mills, Sacramento Monarchs, (916) 928-8125,
morsemills@arcoarena.com
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