FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jill Joslin 972-444-2537

SEA DIVES INTO A VIRTUAL “SEA” OF SPORTS & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

“The influence of sports celebrities on the American public is very significant,” says Mike Stone, CEO of newly formed, Irving, Texas-based, Sports and Entertainment Access (SEA). “We formed this company to be the link between American business enterprises and the celebrities that can add value to their brands.

SEA is an LLC formed by top executives from the fields of sports and sports marketing to provide branding services to Fortune 1000 companies who desire the valuable visibility and association with prominent sports figures. Street & Smith’s, one of the national sports media experts, estimates the sports sponsorship market and sports event merchandising and collectables market at $6 billion respectively, with sports endorsements being worth an additional $1 billion. SEA uses it contacts, expertise and media savvy to create promotions that tap into that multi-billion dollar market, bringing brand identity and entertainment value to its clients. Beyond special events, SEA works with clients to create branding and marketing strategies that include merchandizing, forming celebrity partnerships, developing event collectables and building customer and client relationships. In addition, SEA has its own media production component that can create customized video packages or press releases to further spread the news of its clients’ events and success stories.

The SEA team, led by Stone is comprised of President, Mary McKay, she worked with AMG representing clients such as Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders and Barry Bonds and VP, Jill Joslin, a licensing and marketing specialist from Reebok International, Wilson Sporting Goods and Oshman’s Sporting Goods. In addition, SEA boasts the association with former Dallas Cowboy, Daryl Johnston, a 12-season, two-time Pro-Bowl player with three Super Bowl rings, now a commentator with NFL on FOX. Another consultant, an “America’s Team” and U.S. Air Force veteran, Chad Hennings, adds further expertise, as he has combined his three Super Bowl rings with media co-hosting and his real estate and advertising management companies.

“We have a team that knows their way around marketing with celebrities and the power of insightful sponsorships” says Stone who has a distinguished record of leadership with ventures such as the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, the Northern League, the United Baseball League and Olympic Boxing. “The opportunities for business and sports to partner are out there,” he adds, “SEA is the catalyst for bringing the right elements together.”

Winning the contest came as a surprise to Kiely. She found out when it was announced in front of nearly 90 of her classmates during a school assembly at Big Springs Elementary School, part of the Richardson Independent School District, Garland, Texas. Melissa Smith, Big Springs Elementary fourth-grade science instructor, is one of the teachers in Dallas and Fort Worth who brought the Switch It! program into her classroom.

Click on the children’s names in the story to see their winning designs.

Kiely’s winning billboard design features a light bulb named Larry who encourages others to, “Be Bright and Turn off the Light!”

Runners up in the program will each receive two energy-saving light bulbs and four movie tickets. Runners up are fourth graders: Emma Miller, Seymour Elementary School, Seymour Texas; Heather Lo, Big Springs Elementary School, Garland, Texas; and Rachel Bui, Jamie Griffin and Joy Siler, Corey Elementary School, Arlington, Texas.

Click on the Grand Prize winning billboard design and each of the designs of the five runners up to see their energy-saving messages.

“Congratulations to the winners. We were delighted with the creativity of the designs,” said Commerce Energy Chief Executive Officer, Steven S. Boss. “The teachers, who do important work every day, also supported their students in energy-saving efforts. The children certainly understood the message and did a great job of showing how families can be encouraged to save on their energy use.”

The Billboard Contest was the final part of a three-part energy education and energy-saving curriculum called Switch It!  The Switch It! program provided hands-on lessons in energy conservation. The program was sponsored by Commerce Energy, a deregulated retail energy provider, and was designed jointly with Young Minds Inspired, an award-winning specialist in the creation of in-school curriculum-based programs.

More than 1,700 schools in the Dallas / Fort Worth area received the Switch It! program for first through fourth grades. The program was kicked off with visits from Hennings to J.N. Ervin Elementary School in Dallas and South Hills Elementary School in Fort Worth on October 9.

Interview of Everson Walls and Shawn Spring airs Sunday, November 25th on CBS from 11am-12

For more information on the interview or The Gift for Life Foundation, please go to the SEA blog.

13 x 19 inch poster $25.00+shipping and handling  

All proceeds from the sale of the poster go to the Gift for Life Foundation.  The Gift for Life Foundation was founded by Ron Springs and Everson Walls to promote the awareness, early detection and prevention of Kidney disease, Diabetes, and other illnesses and complications directly related to these life-threatening conditions; and to provide access to services and education in underserved communities across the US.

To purchase poster, please email diane@sportsandentertainmentaccess.com

The Foundation was formed in an effort to promote awareness of the possible outcomes of uncontrolled type two diabetes: such as heart attacks, kidney disease, amputations, ect.  Everson and Ron had the idea to start the foundation when their own lives were touched by the disease.  Ron was diagnosed with type two diabetes a number of years ago, and because of his admitted denial and lack of education about the disease, he had to have a leg amputated and developed severe kidney disease.  After waiting for three and half years on the transplant list for a new kidney, Ron’s former Dallas Cowboys teammate and friend, Everson Walls, discovered that he was a match for organ donation to Ron.  Everson of course stepped up to the plate and was able to successfully donate his kidney to Ron. 

In the interview, Everson admits that he was scared by the process, and believes that this is why so many people are not living donors.  But the day after surgery, he was up and moving around, and his rehabilitation was fairly simple.  He says that this is a great example of why one of the main purposes of Gift for Life Foundation is education.  Education could increase the number of living donors as well as preventing many of the causes that allow the disease to become this far progressed.

The interview is set to air Sunday, November 25th on CBS from 11am-12.  Also, look for an upcoming article in The New York Times on the Foundation.  

For more information on the Gift for Life Foundation, please follow this link to their website.  http://www.giftforlifefoundation.org/ 

You can also see SEA’s calendar for upcoming Gift for Life events or our homepage on how you can purchase a limited edition poster of Ron Springs and Everson Walls which benefits the Foundation. 

Author: Cara Lyon

CBS reporter, Charlie Bloom, interviewed Everson Walls and Washington Redskins cornerback, Shawn Springs, in the SEA offices today.  The interview is to air Thanksgiving Day on NFL Today on CBS. 

For more details on the interview, please go to the SEA Blog

An obviously rich history in basketball, the Harlem Globetrotters have played over 20,000 games in 118 countries.  They have played for presidents, kings and popes and NBA greats like Wilt Chamberlin, Connie Hawkins, and Nat Clifton all got their start with the Globetrotters. 

From a corporate standpoint, this is an ideal team to sponsor, which is the main reason Sports and Entertainment Access has been so eager about this particular team.  The events are very family-centered, and since they hit every venue under the sun, it allows your company maximum exposure in markets that might not have many other high profile opportunities.  Campbell’s Soup has already signed on as the Globetrotters National Sponsor, but opportunities from becoming a presenting sponsor to simply being a single event sponsor are still available through Sports and Entertainment Access.  

For more information on Sponsoring the Harlem Globetrotters, follow the link below.  

Harlem Globetrotters 

Author: Cara Lyon

The world famous Harlem Globetrotters are back on tour with 260 events scheduled throughout North America.  The Globetrotters are currently looking for sponsors to kick off thier 2008 schedule.  Please see the sponsorship packet below for a little more about your Harlem Globetrotters and how you or your company can become involved. 

Sponsorship Opportunities Harlem Globetrotters