AST Dew Tour Begins Charity Initiative In Ohio - Dirt Rider Magazine

AST DEW TOUR ANNOUNCES "AST DROPS IN" CHARITY INITIATIVE IN CLEVELANDBoys & Girls Club of Cleveland Named Beneficiary of Online AuctionNEW YORK - JUNE 4, 2007 - The AST Dew Tour, the world's premier season-long action sports tour, today announced AST Drops In, the tour's new national charity initiative, will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland when the tour comes to Cleveland for the Right Guard Open on July 19-22. As part of the announcement, BMX star Steven McCann today taught a special BMX clinic at Chengaworld Brookpark to children from the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland. The second event of the AST Dew Tour's 2007 season, the Right Guard Open will be held at Cleveland's North Coast Harbor.AST Drops In will work with children from the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland. As a way to introduce them to action sports, the Tour will provide donations of equipment, with support from Mongoose BMX bikes, along with funds to incorporate action sports into their daily activities. Through a relationship with Charity Folks, a leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, the AST Dew Tour will auction off memorabilia and experiential items from Dew Tour athletes and partners. All proceeds from the online charity auction will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland.The AST Drops In auction will begin today, Monday, June 4. Fans can log on to www.charityfolks.com/astdropsin to bid on rare action sports collectibles ranging from two-time Dew Cup winner Ryan Sheckler's autographed skateboard, which he will be using in competition at the Panasonic Open, to an autographed helmet from 2006 BMX Dirt Dew Cup champion and Ohio native Anthony Napolitan. Fans can also bid on one-of-a-kind, experiential items, such as a personal FMX pit tour and track walk that includes four Action Zone passes (VIP reserved seating at Finals) and exclusive AST Dew Tour merchandise. All memorabilia auctions for the Right Guard Open will close on Monday, July 23 and bidding for all Right Guard Open experiential items will close by Wednesday, July 18."AST Drops In is proud to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland," said Wade Martin, president and general manager of the AST Dew Tour. "It's rewarding for the Dew Tour and its athletes to have the opportunity to give back to the communities that host our events.""I'm excited to be a part of AST Drops In and work with the Dew Tour and it's partners to give back to local children's charities," said AST Dew Tour BMX athlete Steven McCann. "I would encourage everyone to log on to the auction, start bidding and help support the kids of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland.""The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland are thrilled with and very thankful for the opportunities provided to our members by the AST Dew Tour," said Kara Copeland of the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland. "Keeping kids engaged in positive programming and encouraging an active lifestyle are of great importance to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland in continuing our mission of enabling all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible adults."A number of the AST Dew Tour sponsors will also support AST Drops In through a variety of ways. Right Guard will donate $5 for every Mohawk and $1 for every "faux-hawk" their barber shaves into fans' hair at the Right Guard Xtreme Xperience in the Tour's Festival Village, up to a $10,000 donation over the course of the 2007 season. Mongoose will provide meet-n-greet opportunities with Mongoose team athletes, signed memorabilia, and various action sports equipment at each AST Dew Tour event. Ogio will provide product and signed athlete memorabilia from their large roster of team riders while Freshpark will provide one ramp and one rail to a local children's charity in each Dew Tour host city. TransWorld will also contribute magazine subscriptions to TransWorld Skateboarding, TransWorld Motocross, and Ride BMX in each market.The complete 2007 AST Dew Tour schedule is as follows:Event
Date
Location
Panasonic Open June 21-24 Baltimore, Md.--Camden Yards Sports Complex
Right Guard Open July 19-22 Cleveland, Ohio--North Coast Harbor
Vans Invitational Aug. 16-19 Portland, Ore.--Rose Quarter
Toyota Challenge Sept. 20-23 Salt Lake City, Utah--Energy Solutions
Arena PlayStation Pro Oct. 18-21 Orlando, Fla.--Amway ArenaEntering its third year, the AST Dew Tour is the most watched and attended action sports property in the world. Attendance for the 2006 AST Dew Tour totaled nearly 250,000 and an average of 38 million viewers tuned in via NBC and USA each year. The top athletes in the world will take part in this year's Tour, all competing for the highly coveted Dew Cup which will be awarded in Orlando at season's end to champions in each of the six disciplines. The 2006 Dew Cup winners include Nate Adams (Freestyle Motocross), Jamie Bestwick (BMX Vert), Anthony Napolitan (BMX Dirt), Daniel Dhers (BMX Park), Bucky Lasek (Skateboard Vert) and Ryan Sheckler (Skateboard Park).The AST Dew Tour
The AST (Action Sports Tour) was created in 2007 to function as the umbrella brand of the organization; the Dew Tour is the AST's premier professional property.Owned by NBC Universal and Live Nation, the AST Dew Tour, the world's premier season-long action sports tour, debuted in June 2005 and consists of five major, multi-sport events with a cumulative points system, a $2.5 million competitive purse - the largest in action sports - and an additional $1 million bonus pool based upon year-end standings. NBC and USA Network combine for exclusive AST Dew Tour coverage with the largest combined network and cable commitment in action sports. The AST Dew Tour is distributed in over 230 million homes worldwide and in over 100 countries. The Tour features skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert, and dirt) and freestyle motocross, and at season's end, the Tour awards champions in the six disciplines with the Dew Cup. Key lifestyle elements at each Tour event include the festival village with video gaming and interactive events, as well as live cutting edge music. The AST Dew Tour returns all of its founding partners including Mountain Dew (tour title sponsor); and Panasonic, Right Guard Xtreme, Vans, Toyota and PlayStation (event title sponsors). Associate partners include Ball Park, MasterCard, Mongoose, Slim Jim and Verizon Wireless. More information can be found at www.astdewtour.com.NBC Universal
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.Live Nation
Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London's Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV." For more information regarding Live Nation and its businesses or concerts near you, please visit our website at www.livenation.com.