NEWS FROM THE KANSAS SHRINE BOWL

Kansas Shrine Bowl

Contact:  Bob Fidler
E-mail: bfidler1@cox.net
Phone: 785-230-2077
For Immediate Release
Release #1
June 15, 2010

KANSAS SHRINERS, COACHES, PLAYERS GEAR UP
FOR JULY 31 GAME IN PITTSBURG

            With warmer weather and summer activities taking center stage in Kansas, a dozen football coaches, 68 of the Sunflower State’s best graduated football players, dozens of Shriners, and countless volunteers are turning their attention to one of Kansas best time-honored traditions, the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star football game. 
            The 2010 edition of the state’s premier all-star game, the 37th in the storied series, will be played on Brandenburg Field at Carnie Smith Stadium on the campus of Pittsburg State University on July 31st.  It will be the third Shrine Bowl to be played in Pittsburg, with previous games staged in 2002 and 2006.
            This year’s game will bring one significant change that will get more high schools represented on the field.  The Shrine Bowl Board of Directors has determined that not more than one player from any Kansas High School will be chosen to participate in the football game.  Previously, up to two players per team had been allowed to be chosen.   The new rule means 68 Kansas High Schools will be represented in the game.
            “There is a wealth of football talent in Kansas”, says Kansas Shrine Bowl Executive Director Dave Mize.  “Every year, we are forced to leave out some outstanding players who may have played for schools that don’t have strong football traditions, or whose teams may not have done well in the previous season.  We want to make as many slots available so that players who might be lesser-known but are nevertheless among the most talented in the state get the opportunity to play in the Shrine Bowl.” 
            The 2010 Shrine Bowl weekend of activities will include many events that attendees look forward to seeing each year.  Among them is the annual Kansas Shrine Bowl Parade, one of the largest parades in the state, involving hundreds of Shriners riding everything from mini-motorcycles to old cars to scaled-down versions of combines that are so much a part of the Kansas landscape.  Other events will include the 3rd Annual statewide cross-country meet,
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bringing together 60 of the state’s top (high school graduate) harriers.  Fifteen men and fifteen women from both the East and the West have been chosen to compete in an event that will be staged just prior to the football game, and will end with the runners crossing the finish line after entering the stadium as part of the pregame festivities.  Other Shrine Bowl related activities on game day will include the 4th Annual Charity Road Race that is run in conjunction with the all star race.
            Two other Shrine Bowl traditions, the 26th Annual Masonic All-State Marching Band, and the 10th Annual All Star Cheer Clinic, will involve several hundred young people from all parts of the Sunflower State.
            Again in 2010, the Shrine Bowl will conduct a pro-style high school Combine and clinic, which gives high school players the chance to measure their skills in several areas.  The Shrine Bowl Combine, which will be held for the fourth time in conjunction with the Shrine Bowl, will be conducted by Ron Freeman and Paul Coffman.
            All of this would not be possible, of course, without the strong backing of the five Kansas Shrine Temples and many Kansas Shriners, who view the Kansas Shrine Bowl as their signature event, and their single best fund-raiser.   “The Shriners are the ones that make this event happen”, says Mize.  “From the year-round work of the Shrine Bowl Board, to those who sell ads in our program, to the ticket-takers and the parking lot attendants, many Shriners put in long hours to make this game one of the most successful in the country.”
            Working hand-in-hand with the Shriners is a cadre of volunteers from the various communities where the game is played each year.  Mize says the enthusiasm of volunteers in Pittsburg is in a large measure why the game has found one of its “homes” the past few years, as it rotates venues around the state.  “The City of Pittsburg, Pittsburg State, and all of Crawford County have embraced our game, and make us feel very welcome”, he says.  “They do an outstanding job of making the Shrine Bowl Weekend a very special event for our players, the coaches, and the fans, and we are thrilled to be coming back to southeast Kansas again.”
The Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Game is an annual event featuring two football teams composed of 68 of the best graduated high school players from the East and West.  Kickoff for this year's game at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg is scheduled for 7 PM on Saturday, July 31.  Proceeds from all Shrine Bowl events support the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 hospitals that provide expert, no-cost orthopedic, burn, and spinal care to children under 18.  Children are admitted free to Shriners Hospitals for Children without regard for race, religion, nationality, creed, or relationship to a Shriner.
Advance reserved chair back tickets for the game are $20.00.  Adult general admission tickets are $12.00 in advance.  Student tickets (K-12) are $6.00 in advance. Game day tickets, if available, are $1 more at the gate. Additional information and tickets can be purchased through the Shrine Bowl office by calling 1-800-530-5524.  The Shrine Bowl web site address is ksshrine.com and the e-mail address is ksshrine@kansas.com. Online ticket orders are located at http://www.pittstate.edu/office/tickets/athletics/index.dot