KIDS RAISE $$ FOR TENNESSEE’S LIBRARIES AND SAVE $$ TOO
All at the Coolest Attraction of the Season ICE! ™ featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Nashville, Tenn.—( October 26, 2007 ) Maybe the Grinch was greedy once, but now that he's middle-aged, he's giving back. One of the most beloved books of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss, is celebrating its 50th birthday. And in honor of Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel and Mrs. Audrey Geisel's commitment to literacy, Gaylord Opryland® Resort and Convention Center and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Inc. have teamed up with more than 100 public libraries, the Tennessee Library Association, The Tennessee State Library and Archives, the Nashville Public Library System and the YMCA Association of Middle Tennessee in this exciting ICE! Cold Cash for Libraries effort.Gaylord Opryland Resort is honoring the Grinch's birthday with a special attraction, ICE!™ featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Children who present Tennessee public library cards when tickets are purchased for ICE! this year will each receive a $2 discount, plus $1 will be donated back to that child's hometown Tennessee library.
The Grinch himself , along with a special friend, will help announce the program at an event to be held at the main branch of the Nashville Public Library on Church Street in downtown Nashville, at noon on Saturday, October 27, 2007. The Grinch will also visit with children in the library's Children's Department as rising country star Rissi Palmer, who will appear at the Grand Ole Opry that night, reads How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr Seuss. Special Grinch prizes will also be awarded.
Jane Pinkston, President of the Tennessee Library Association, said, "Our public libraries are so glad that the Grinch decided to celebrate his 50th birthday in this fashion! All participating communities will benefit from the ICE!/Gaylord Opryland donations to our local library literacy programs."
ICE! featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is an interactive, walk-through exhibit of larger- than-life ice sculptures that will tell the book's story in almost 2 million pounds of intricately carved, colorful ice. ICE! is an annual feature of Gaylord Opryland's world-famous A CountryChristmas®, but this is the first time it will feature the Grinch. Approximately 150,000 people from across the U.S. and abroad visited last year's ICE! attraction located at Gaylord Opryland, and many more are expected this year from Nov. 15, 2007 - Jan. 2, 2008.
"Leading children to literature is what libraries are all about," said Pamela Reese, Community Affairs Administrator, Nashville Public Library. "It's exciting when community events mirror this important goal. To reward kids for library use and then to financially support libraries is icing on the cake."
This is how ICE! Cold Cash For Libraries works: Children can pick up coupons for ICE! at their local Tennessee public library beginning in late September, then register for a library card if they don't have one. All they have to do is show the library card and coupon when they come to ICE! for the discount and for the donation to their hometown library from Gaylord Opryland. Gaylord Opryland is also providing free How the Grinch Stole Christmas! books to participating libraries.
Rissi Palmer who's self-titled CD was released October 23, is a new country singer-songwriter who is poised to become one of the genre's biggest and brightest new stars. Palmer has been on a whirlwind rise to stardom, receiving widespread media attention including Billboard, Essence, VIBE, Newsweek, People, Country Weekly, MSNBC.com and Yahoo Music.com.Most recently, Palmer has appeared on CMT Insider News, TV Guide Networks, Nashville Music & More, Tavis Smiley Radio Show, Dr. Maya Angelou's XM Radio Show and much more.Along with Palmer's televised Grand Ole Opry Live appearance on Saturday, October 27, music fans can receive a free download of her hit single, "Country Girl" by visiting their favorite Starbucks location across the country. Palmer is among 37 featured artists included in Starbucks Entertainment's "Song of the Day" celebration. To learn more about Rissi Palmer you can visit these links: http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/id_2577402/artist.jhtml or www.rissipalmer.com.
Discounted overnight vacation packages are available for Tennessee library groups or families wanting to participate inICE! Cold Cash for Libraries for more information on vacation packages go to www.gaylordopryland.com or for fun activities, recipes, a list of participating libraries and more about the ICE! attraction, go to www.wefrozethegrinch.com.
TM & © 2007 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT DR. SEUSS ENTERPRISES, L.P.
Executive Vice President Susan Brandt heads the Dr. Seuss Licensing and Marketing office. The primary focus of the office is to protect the integrity of the Dr. Seuss books while expanding beyond books into licensed merchandise. The licensing effort is a strategic part of the overall effort to strengthen and protect the relationship consumers have with Dr. Seuss characters. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) said he never wanted to license his characters to anyone who would "round out the edges." That is one of the guiding philosophies of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
ABOUT "A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS"
Gaylord Opryland's A Country Christmas® presented by Nissan is proud to present ICE!™ presented by Coca-Cola®, featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. This is the Only SHOW like it in the USA! From the Grinch's frozen mountain top lair, to the interactive slides and surprises, this life-sized story told in ice will make even the coldest of hearts grow three sizes. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular® presented by Allstate® Insurance Company, starring the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® is back with dazzling costumes, brilliant choreography and favorite scenes, such as the "Living Nativity" and the "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers." There's The Pam Tillis Christmas Dinner Party™, Christmas on the Cumberland aboard the General Jackson® Showboat, Treasures For The Holidays Craft Show; Santa's E-mail; Carriage Rides; Photos with Santa; Brightest Star Fountain Show; Hall of Trees and nearly two million Christmas lights. It's everything Christmas and all at Gaylord Opryland®.
Media Contacts:
Kim Keelor 615.458.2887 kkeelor@gaylordhotels.com
Ann Dee McClane 615.458.2896 amcclane@gaylordhotels.com
For Rissi Palmer: Schatzi Hageman, Hot Schatz PR - 615.782.0078 or info@hotschatzpr.com