Sydney Festival opened its 2012 program with Australia’s largest free outdoor cultural event, Festival First Night, attracting hundreds of thousands of people into the city centre for eight hours of music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Headlining the event was internationally-acclaimed music superstar Manu Chao, who had 60,000 people dancing to his unique blend of Latin reggae. Audiences thrilled to a mix of Australian and international entertainment including a 1950s swing dance, painted caravans, Australian singer-songwriter Meagan Washington, Indigenous singer Gurrumul and dapper Jamaican gents, The Jolly Boys. Keeping things at a lively pace were street performances by Tuba Skinny, Lewis Floyd Henry and Norman J and his Good Times Bus. Casper Babypants, Holly Throsby and Erth’s mythical puppet creatures kept the kids laughing and dancing throughout the afternoon.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/53512-sydney-festival-2012/
The photographic series “Forgotten” by celebrated photographer Donald Leon Farrow is presented in eight installments. These works capture a solitude in situations involving structures and nature that generally go unnoticed or unremembered. An unshared story lies behind the situation of each image. Some perspectives almost appear abstract, whereas others suggest a history. Many are unsettling.
Newly formed entertainment company The Mogue Collective announces the launch of Dance2LAX: a non-competitive dance workshop featuring eight classes by world famous choreographers Brian Friedman (X-Factor; Britney Spears), Laurie Ann Gibson (Lady Gaga), Gil Duldulao (Janet Jackson) and UK based Sisco Gomez (So You Think You Can Dance), also boasting celebrity host Carmit Bachar from the original Pussycat Dolls. The two-day intensive event will be held for the first time in London at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, Monarch Ballroom, April 7th and 8th 2012. A live showcase performed in a pop concert atmosphere and an exclusive VIP party at Minako at the Met will round out the weekend.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53793-dance2lax
Food Network’s long-running hit primetime series Food Network Star returns to New York City this May with fifteen talented hopefuls and completely new twists for season eight – this year, returning stars Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis move from behind the judge’s table to square off with culinary favorite Alton Brown for a three-way team competition to find the next Food Network Star, beginning with a special two-hour premiere episode on Sunday, May 13th at 9pm ET/PT. Bobby, Giada and Alton, all television producers in addition to being culinary superstars, lead the charge to find and develop the new talent by each hand-selecting a team of five finalists, who they will produce and mentor through the ‘Star’ experience to find one winner who possesses personality and kitchen chops. Viewers can also glance into the ‘Star’ finalist selection process, with a casting special airing on May 12th and in another turn to the series plot, viewers will vote online before the July 22nd finale to determine who will receive the ultimate prize: their own Food Network show, to be produced by their ‘Star’ team leader.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/51725-food-network-star-season-eight-2012/
Duda Farm Fresh Foods announces that it has donated eight salad bars to the Seminole County Public School District as part of the United Fresh Produce Association Foundation and first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” initiative. The salad bars will be available to more than 16,000 school children and will offer a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits as part of their school lunch program. Duda is also leading an effort to encourage others to contribute to this important initiative with the goal of placing salad bars in every school in the Seminole County Public School District.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55208-duda-farm-fresh-foods-donates-salad-bars-seminole-county-public-schools
Haiti’s Francis mango is back for a short six to eight weeks at Whole Foods Market. Starting now and for a limited time, shoppers will find this exclusive Fair Trade™ Certified fruit under the grocer’s Whole Trade program, which drives meaningful dollars into the struggling Haitian economy. Whole Foods Market is the sole buyer of Fair Trade Certified mangos and purchases the fruit from small Haitian growers, sometimes buying from a family with just one tree. The Whole Trade Guarantee ensures growers receive equitable pay – a key point since this mango crop is often the only source of cash income for many of these farmers. Additionally, many stores will offer organic Haitian mangos. This is the third year the company has brought Whole Trade Haitian mangos to stores, and Whole Foods Market is working to expand the number of growers it works with, providing more mangos to shoppers and more money in Haitian grower’s pockets.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/49714-whole-foods-market-haitian-mangos-fair-trade-certified-fruit
Bank of the West has seen a rise in mortgage loan applications since April as homeowners seek to take advantage of low interest rates under the government’s Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) 2.0.
For consumers wanting to learn more about HARP, Bank of the West has published Eight Essential Harp Tips and introduced an educational video series on HARP loans that can be viewed on YouTube at YouTube.com/Bankofthewest.
“We are anticipating that one out of every five new borrowers will be a homeowner seeking a HARP 2.0 refinance loan this year,” said Karen Mayfield, Bank of the West’s National Sales Manager for the Mortgage Banking Division. “This program is providing real relief for homeowners who are current on their mortgage but have been unable to refinance due to a decline in the value of their home.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54577-bank-of-the-west-mortgage-loan-applications-refinance-harp-2-0
ChildObesity180 today announced the two National school program winners of its nationwide innovation contest. The competition was designed to identify and reward the most creative, impactful, and scalable school-based programs and technologies to promote children’s physical activity.
Among the many schools nationwide employing running and walking programs, the 100 Mile Club in Corona-Norco, CA is a true pioneer. Inspired by the 1992 Summer Olympics, special education teacher Kara Lubin had a dream that kids would be motivated to stay fit by the simple goal of “winning the gold medal.” These medals, based on dedication and effort, not speed and fitness, could reward students of all abilities, including Lubin’s special education students. Lubin took action and founded the 100 Mile Club in 1993. Elementary school students are presented with a straightforward challenge, run 100 miles over the course of the school year. Students log miles before school, after school, during recess, and at sanctioned community events. Milestones are rewarded with simple tokens – wristbands, pencils, and medals. A year-end assembly celebrates and recognizes students who have achieved 100 miles, and those still with miles to go. Nearly 20 years later, the 100 Mile Club has stood the test of time, and been adopted by schools in California and across the nation. The program is highly scalable and with Lubin’s help, is now in place in more than 115 schools across eight U.S. states, reaching more than 30,000 students.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56327-childobesity180-physical-activity-contest-100-mile-club-red-hawk-movement
More than eight in ten (86 percent) fathers today are spending more time with their kids than their own fathers did in the previous generation, according to a new national survey conducted by the Ad Council. In advance of Father’s Day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC), Fathers Incorporated, and the Ad Council are reaching out to all fathers across the country to inspire a new commitment to responsible fatherhood.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56331-ad-council-hhs-nrfc-inspire-nationwide-commitment-responsible-fatherhood
For super fans eagerly awaiting a taste of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises,” the wait is over. Today, Mountain Dew® launched the highly anticipated DEWGothamCity.com, a hub including never-before-seen Dark Knight content, which provides unprecedented access to Gotham City. From a deeper look at the Dark Knight franchise to exclusive content that helps to bridge the eight-year gap between the trilogy’s second and third installment storylines, DEWGothamCity.com is the ultimate destination for fans looking to experience “The Dark Knight Rises” before the film’s opening day, Friday, July 20.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56723-diet-mountain-dew-dale-earnhardt-jr-the-dark-knight-rises
Forty-eight multimillionaires and billionaires from around the globe descended on the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino yesterday (July 1) to begin competing in the highest stakes poker tournament ever conceived. Nearly every participant in the sellout field put up a cool $1 million to enter the BIG ONE for ONE DROP; the winner, who will be identified late July 3 or early July 4, will score an unprecedented prize of $18,346,673.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56955-world-series-of-poker-hosts-richest-event-in-game-s-history-big-one-wsop
Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race returns for a third season this summer, with host Tyler Florence presiding over the cross-country culinary road trip with a brand-new twist: no longer a competition between current food truck operators as in prior seasons, this high-stakes battle is between eight teams who desperately want to be in the food truck business – they have a dream, a concept and insane culinary skills. Each three-person team is provided a vehicle for the race, but only the grand prize winner gets to keep their food truck and a $50,000 cash prize to start their dream business. From mobile mini-pies and authentic Aussie grub to specialty waffles, each team’s inspired cuisine and road strategy is put to the test in city-specific challenges that begin at a Long Beach, Calif. lighthouse and continue through the finale at the West Quoddy Lighthouse in Maine, the easternmost point of the United States. The seven-episode series premieres on Sunday, August 19th at 10pm ET/PT, after the finale of Chopped: Grill Masters, and beginning the next week will air in its regular timeslot Sundays at 9pm ET/PT.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/56970-food-network-the-great-food-truck-race/
