MEDIA ALERT: Olympic Medal Hopeful Send Off Ceremony

WHAT: Send Off Ceremony for 2008 Summer Olympics Marathon
Runner Ryan Hall

WHO: Olympian Ryan Hall

WHERE: Big Bear Middle School
41275 Big Bear Blvd., Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
* Media Parking is at the east end tennis courts on
Georgia Street.

WHEN: Monday, August 4, 2008 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Gates
open at 4:30 p.m.

BACKGROUND: The community of Big Bear will congregate together for a
ceremonial pep rally to honor Ryan Hall and send him off
with an encouraging farewell to the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, China. The organizers of the event expect
more than 1,000 people in attendance. In addition to the
pep rally send off event, the community of Big Bear has
established a special campaign for Ryan Hall titled,
"Move a Million Miles for Ryan Hall," which is a
community spirit initiative designed as a moral support
booster for the Olympic medal hopeful. The goal of the
campaign is to reach 1 million miles in honor of Hall by
August 24, 2008 (the date of the Olympic Marathon). As of
July 29 there were 2,779 participant signed up for the
program, and 817,147 miles have been logged.

NEWS INTEREST: Ryan Hall, a local Big Bear resident, is favored to win a
medal in the marathon event at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, China. In November 2007 Hall won the U.S.
Olympic Marathon Trials in a record time 2:09:02. He is
the fastest American born marathon runner in history, and
is being hailed as America's next great long distance
running icon.

PHOTO/FILM
OPPORTUNITIES: Capture Ryan Hall running a lap around the track at Big
Bear Middle School with an American flag in hand. Big
Bear Marathon runners will follow close behind the first
leg of the lap. Big Bear elementary students will take a
"victory lap" around the track in honor of "Move a
Million Miles for Ryan Hall." Capture Ryan Hall as he
addresses the crowd. Pan the audience waving American
flags. Ryan will be presented a special enlarged check in
miles collected by the community rather than monetary
value. The ceremony will end with Hall waving to the
crowd on a fire truck, which will do one last lap around
the track.

FOR INTERVIEWS
& INFORMATION: If you would like to schedule an interview or need b-roll
of the event contact:
Dan McKernan, Manager of Marketing & Public Relations
Office: 909.866.6190 ext. 235 or Cell: 951.283.9442
dmckernan@bigbear.com

SOURCE Big Bear Lake Resort Association