Press Releases from Casinos and Others
to keep you up-to-date

The following press releases announcing casino entertainment, promotions and tournaments are presented as received from the sources. You'll also find announcements from many other sources.

Diamond Peak Announces Its Spring Season Pass Sale Starting March 15th

Diamond Peak is offering 10/11 season passes on sale March 15, 2010. Purchase a non-resident Full Adult season pass for only $454 or a non-resident Midweek Adult season pass for only $363 at the Early Bird rate. There are several advantages for purchasing your 10/11 season pass now. One is that you get to ski the rest of the 09/10 season for free. Another is you get enjoy all of the passholder perks! The perks includes getting discounts at local vendors, getting early lift access on certain days and even early lift access on powder days. Check out our website at diamondpeak.com for more information on the passholder perks. To kick off our season pass sale on Monday March 15th we are offering anyone who has a birthday from April 12th-December 15, 2010 can ski for FREE. Since we offer this special to everyone who has a birthday during the season we wanted to do something for people who have a birthday that falls on a date while we are closed. Show your ID to Guest Services and get a free lift ticket! You can purchase your 10/11 Diamond Peak season pass online by visiting www.diamondpeak.com, mailing or faxing in your application or in person by visiting the Diamond Peak Guest Services window. For more information, please call (775) 832-1177. Diamond Peak Ski Resort is located in Incline Village, Nevada on the scenic north shore of Lake Tahoe, offering amazing views of the lake. Kids and beginners love it here. There is an 1840 foot vertical drop with 30 runs offering beginner to advanced terrain. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Visit www.diamondpeak.com or call (775) 832-1177 and make Diamond Peak your Tahoe place to ski or snowboard this winter! Back to top

MARK BURNETT PRESENTS KING OF THE CAGE - LEGACY

Get ready for a night of hard-hitting action as King of the Cage presents “Legacy” on Friday, March 26 at 6 p.m. in the Grande Exposition Hall at Silver Legacy Resort Casino. It’s a night of spectacular cage fighting as Mike Kyle takes on Jon Murphy and Nick Gaston goes head to head with Dave Huckaba in the Heavyweight division. Then 185 pounders Jaime Jara and Tim Means battle it out. Rounding out the main card in the 170 pound division is a bout featuring Koffi Adzitso and Quinn Mulhern. Presented by Mark Burnett of The Survivor television series, the under card will also feature bouts that promise a night of fast and furious battles. Several northern California favorites will make the trip over the hill including Hussain Fasoulin, TJ Dillishaw, Juan Acevedo, Dustin Akbari, BJ Roberson and Ben Corsaro. Local Reno fighters include Tyler Cowan, Aaron Buck and Jack Montgomery. Card is subject to change. These athletes are amazing and not only are they in peak condition, but they are skilled in many forms of combat. From Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to wrestling, Muay Thai to boxing and all styles are encouraged. King of the Cage “Legacy” is about punches, kicks, elbows, knees, big knockout, technical submissions, take-downs and strategy. It’s like no other sport you’ve seen. Tickets to see King of the Cage “Legacy” are on sale now and are $125, $80 and $60 and can be purchased online at silverlegacy.com and ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-687-8733 or 775-325-7401 or at the Box Office located on the main casino floor of Silver Legacy. Back to top

Diamond Peak Go Lil’ or Go Home Festival March 20th

Incline Village, NV- Kids ages 10 and under have a chance to catch big air off a little jump at the Diamond Peak Go Lil’ or Go Home Festival! Kids jump off of a 3-ft. jump built at the bottom of Lodgepole. Registration will be from 9:00-10:30 am and the contest will start at 11 am. The entry fee is $10 and everybody will receive a t-shirt and Certificate of Achievement! We will have face painting as well. A photographer will be there taking photos of the kids. Each kid will receive a picture of his or her jump. Diamond Pete the Penguin will make a special appearance! Everybody’s a winner and children ages 10 and under can catch big air off a “lil” jump at Your Tahoe Place for Kids- Diamond Peak! Diamond Peak Ski Resort is located in Incline Village, Nevada on the scenic north shore of Lake Tahoe, offering amazing views of the lake. Kids and beginners love it here. There is an 1840 foot vertical drop with 30 runs offering beginner to advanced terrain. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Visit www.diamondpeak.com or call (775) 832-1177 and make Diamond Peak your Tahoe place to ski or snowboard this winter! Back to top

THE BIGGEST LITTLE FLAIR BARTENDER COMPETITION IN THE WORLD

Dozens of flair bartenders from across the country won thousands in cash prizes during the 2nd Annual Biggest Little Flair Bartender Competition in the World at the Silver Legacy’s Rum Bullions Island Bar on March 2. After a night of flaunting bartender flair, five top bartenders won a total of $3000. The grand prize winner of $1,000 was Bruno Vanzan of Italy. In second place, Lee Johnson of United Kingdom also wowed the judges and walked away with $750. Locals, Eric Parker and Gustavo Hernandez from Silver Legacy’s own Aura Ultra Lounge, came in third and fourth place. Rounding out the top five, was Matt Baker, also from Silver Legacy’s Aura Ultra Lounge. The top five winners were also awarded trophies and guests watching the competition were entered in a chance to win cash prizes and lift tickets along with drink specials from sponsor products. The FBA has grown to become the largest and most respected flair based organization in the world. The FBA is the global sanctioning body and the undisputed authority on the sport of flair bartending. With the creation of the FBA Pro Tour, it gave the sport a points chase for bartenders to compete year long and worldwide with their eye on the Tour Championship. For more information please visit silverlegacy.com or call 1-800-687-8733 or 775-325-7401. Back to top

More to the Meter Progressive Keno Jackpot at Atlantis

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is now home to the fastest building progressive keno jackpots! Fifty cents from every More to the Meter wager will go directly into the progressive jackpot! Unlike other progressive jackpots, Atlantis’ More to the Meter Keno progressives will not be capped, so there is no limit to how much you can win! More to the Meter progressives are exculsively at Atlantis, and guaranteed to hit right here! Due to a roll-over from our previous progressive, the 9-spot will begin at $190,000!!! After it hits, the 9-spot More to the Meter progressive will reset at $90,000. Put more of your wager toward Atlantis’ in-house More to the Meter Keno Progressives, now offering 5-spot, 6-spot, 7-spot, 8-spot and 9-spot progressives! The Atlantis Keno Room offers 24/7 action on traditional ball keno games as well as modern computer draws. Visit the Keno Room for details. Back to top

IAN GUTOSKIE TAKES CENTER STAGE WITH FEATURE KEN PRINGLE AT CATCH A RISING STAR NEXT WEEK! MARCH 9TH-14TH

Ian Gutoskie can best be described as a freight train hitting the stage. This wonderfully insane, lovable giant uses his 6'7" frame to guide you through his experiences getting older, skydiving, his four dogs, and the ritual of the girls night out. You've seen Ian on CBS and FOX. Ian also appeared in National Lampoons Robodoc. Ian is also the host on digitalfirestarter.com. Ian’s guests include the Killers, Shinedown, Atrayu, Gwar and 311! Ken Pringle’s comedic style is quick witted and filled with self-depreciating humor - as well as stories from growing up in small town Juneau, AK. Ken’s comedy is the beacon for the trials and tribulations of the ’everyman’; a rallying cry for all the blue-collar average schlubs who find solace in television, look nothing like the movie heroes they cheer for, and almost never manage to get the girl... but still believe that, somehow, success is never more than another beer away! Ken Pringle is also the creator of the wildly popular website Chucklemonkey.com, Ken has become the unlikely voice for a new generation of comedians, and a pioneer in a rapidly changing industry. With a readership of over 30,000 amateur and professional comedians around the world. “Catch” audiences are dazzled every week by our own musical host GARY RAFFANELLI, who warms up with rousing sing along tunes. Gary has been a Northern Nevada Fixture for two decades, and is best known for the “Gary and Sandy Show”. Gary is also known for his touring “Abbacadabra” Show. Don’t miss Reno’s best stand-up comedy at Catch A Rising Star! Catch A Rising Star located at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino. Show times for “Catch” are Tuesday- Sunday 7:30pm every night and Friday and Saturday a late show a 10:00pm, NO SHOWS MONDAYS. Tickets are $15.95 Tuesday-Sunday and $17.95 Saturday per person. Prices include tax. Seating begins 30 minutes prior to show time. “Catch” is a nonsmoking showroom. You must be 21 years of age to enter. For press passes or further information, please call 775-325-7452. For reservations please call (775) 325-4077. Back to top

Free Seniors Only Clinics at Diamond Peak

Diamond Peak Ski and Snowboard School is proud to announce they will be having 2 FREE “Seniors Only Clinics”. It is for anyone over 55 years old who may not have had a lesson in years or may have shaped skis. The purpose of these clinics is to show people how to ski more effectively and extend their ski days and years on the snow with new contemporary movement patterns. The “Seniors Only Clinics” will be held on March 10th and 24th from 10am-12pm. This 2 hour clinic will be one part social, one part educational and three parts fun. Come join us and experience what it feels like to ski like a kid again. Lessons will meet at the Base Lodge in the Fireside room at 9:30am. No reservation required. Diamond Peak Ski Resort is located in Incline Village, Nevada on the scenic north shore of Lake Tahoe, and offers amazing views of the lake. Kids and beginners as well as seasoned veterans love it here. There is an 1840 foot vertical drop with 30 runs offering beginner to advanced terrain. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Visit www.diamondpeak.com or call (775) 832-1177 and make Diamond Peak your Tahoe place to ski or snowboard this winter! Back to top

March Money Days at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

Every day is a money-making opportunity at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa during the month of March! Get in on the action with at least three tournaments every day, and at least one of those tournaments is FREE for all, every day!!! Play No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, Video Poker, Video Slots and Keno tournaments! You can also play in our three specialty tournaments for the month of March: *FREE St. Patrick’s Day Keno Tournament on March 17th $40,000 Pot O’ Gold Slot Tournament on March 14-15 No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament on March 20 @ 11am, details in Poker Room Three ways to win, every day! March Money Days, only at Atlantis! *St. Patrick’s Day Keno Tournament requires $50 of play during the tournament to qualify for CASH prizes. See Club Paradise for more information, or go to our home page at www.AtlantisCasino.com. Back to top

Don't Quit On Your Resolution To Quit Smoking!

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 25, 2010 – Every year, millions of Americans faithfully make New Year's resolutions including quitting smoking. However, a recent survey with more than 1,000 former smokers conducted on behalf of the American Lung Association showed that 60 percent of people were not able to quit smoking on their first try and required multiple attempts to quit smoking. Helping more Americans quit smoking remains a top public health priority for the American Lung Association. A new smoking cessation campaign from the Association is available to the many smokers who may have given up on their resolution and provides resources and support for the "Quitter in You." The survey also showed that the main reasons a smoker decides to quit are because of the costs of smoking (35 percent), and to improve their health (33 percent). "Quitting smoking is the single most important step a smoker can take to improve the length and quality of his or her life. You can also save a considerable amount of money," said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. "These results coincide with what we already know about the benefits of quitting smoking, to your health as well as financially. I encourage all smokers to make a plan to quit this year, talk to your doctor about how to quit smoking and utilize the support and resources available from the American Lung Association." Back to top

Nevada Chamber Opera wins national award

Continued improvements to program hope to attract more students The University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Chamber Opera received national recognition at the National Opera Association’s 2010 Convention last month in Atlanta, Ga. for its production of “HMS Pinafore” performed during the 2008-2009 academic year. The production placed third in its category, following closely behind productions by much larger schools, the State University of New York and the City University of New York. “This is the first time the University’s opera productions has received recognition at this kind of level,” Damon Stevens, director of the Nevada Chamber Orchestra said. “We’ve made some great changes and will continue to grow the program to build a national reputation.” Stevens took over as director of the University’s opera program in 2008. Since, Stevens said the program has partnered with the theatre department to produce fully costumed productions directed by Sue Klemp and the group’s productions have been critiqued by local theatre critic, Jack Neal. Stevens plans to enter last semester’s production of “Die Fledermaus” in the NOA production awards for this academic year. This next fall, the Nevada Chamber Orchestra will perform “Dido and Aneas.” “It’s going to be a very special and intimate Baroque theatre piece,” Stevens said. “We have a full pit orchestra for our fall performance, and we’ll limit the audience to 140 people per performance and move them onto the Nightingale stage.” Stevens said he hopes the growing reputation of the University’s opera program will lure more students to the many fine programs offered by the School of the Arts. For more information on the Nevada Chamber Orchestra, visit http://www.unr.edu/cla/music/pages/lop.htm. Back to top

Learn to Ski & Burton Learn to Ride Week March 8-12th

Incline Village, NV- After watching the Winter Olympics are you ready to learn a new snow sport? How about skiing or snowboarding? Diamond Peak is offering an amazing deal March 8-12th. Learn to ski and ride for only $29! We have dedicated an entire week to teach you a new sport or improve your skiing and riding skills. First timers and novices get a beginner lift ticket, a lesson and rentals for only $29. Diamond Peak is a great place to learn with wide, easy to navigate slopes and professionally trained ski and snowboard instructors. Diamond Peak ‘s lack of crowds, non-intimidating environment and super friendly staff will make your first experience unforgettable and a solid foundation for your new sport addiction. The beautiful lake views from almost every run will invigorate you. Diamond Peak is the perfect mountain for families and beginners with a variety of ski and snowboard packages for all ages and abilities. The first-time beginner package costs $69 for a 1 hr 45 min lesson, rental equipment and a lift ticket, but during March 8-12th you get all of this for only $29, a $40 savings! There’s plenty of room for everyone. This special is available for ages 7 and up; lessons start at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. We suggest arriving at Diamond Peak one hour before lesson time. Learn to Ski and Burton Learn to Ride Week offer is not transferable to any other dates. Diamond Peak Ski Resort is located in Incline Village, Nevada on the scenic north shore of Lake Tahoe, and offers amazing views of the lake. Kids and beginners as well as seasoned veterans love it here. There is an 1840 foot vertical drop with 30 runs offering beginner to advanced terrain. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Visit www.diamondpeak.com or call (775) 832-1177 and make Diamond Peak your Tahoe place to ski or snowboard this winter! Back to top

KUNR Hosts StoryCorps National Oral History Project

StoryCorps, a national initiative to record the stories of everyday Americans, arrives in Reno April 22 for a month-long stay to collect local stories as part of its cross-country tour. StoryCorps is the largest oral history project of its kind, and StoryCorps segments air Fridays in the 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. hour of National Public Radio’s (NPR) Morning Edition on 88.7 KUNR. Hosted by KUNR public radio and co-sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno; the City of Reno and Nevada Humanities, StoryCorps will invite northern Nevadans to preserve the stories of their everyday lives. Interviews are conducted between two people who know and care about each other in StoryCorps’ MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio. A trained facilitator guides participants through the interview process and handles technical aspects of the recording. At the end of the 40-minute recording session, the participants walk away with a CD of their interview. With their permission, a second copy will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear. Up to 120 interviews will be recorded during StoryCorps’ Reno visit, which ends May 15. “KUNR is actively working to build conversation, neighborhood and community,” David Stipech, general manager of KUNR, said. “That’s the beauty of what StoryCorps is going to do – facilitate the conversation to get stories told that wouldn’t be told otherwise.” KUNR will air edited versions of a selection of the locally recorded stories and create special programs around the project. Selected interviews may also air nationally on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. “Today’s society is very enamored with celebrities and the movers and shakers, but some of the most powerful stories come from the people just down the street,” Stipech said. “StoryCorps does a great job of pursuing stories we wouldn’t normally come across. Without StoryCorps, people wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to record these stories.” StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project in partnership with National Public Radio and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. For more information or to listen to stories online, visit www.kunr.org. Back to top

LEGENDARY JAZZ ARTIST, GRAMMY WINNER AND NEA JAZZ MASTER BILL HOLMAN HEADLINES 2010 RENO JAZZ FESTIVAL, APRIL 22-24

Legendary American jazz saxophonist, composer, Grammy winner and 2010 NEA Jazz Master Bill Holman has spent many of his 82 years influencing, composing and arranging for the best musicians in the world, from Stan Kenton, Mel Lewis, Louie Bellson, Count Basie and Buddy Rich to vocalists Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme and Sarah Vaughan. Joining the University of Nevada, Reno's 2010 Reno Jazz Festival in concert, Friday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Lawlor Events Center, Bill Holman and the Bill Holman Big Band will perform work JazzTimes has called "a wonder...a match made in heaven, superbly conceived and executed." The Festival opens Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Nightingale Concert Hall with another award-winning jazz artist, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and University's faculty jazz ensemble, The Collective, in concert. In recognition of Bill Holman's enormous commitment to music, he was named in 2010 to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Masters Fellowship, the highest honor the United States bestows upon a jazz musician. Each year since 1982, the program has elevated to its ranks a select number of living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz. "Jazz is America's unique contribution to the art of the world, and I am proud to have my contributions recognized by the awarding of this honor," Holman said recently. "The list of past and present NEA honorees contains most of my heroes and influences, and to be included among them is truly humbling and gratifying." A revered multi-award-winner, Holman has been granted many accolades since his arrival on the jazz scene in 1949, after first studying engineering and, later, composing and arranging at the Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles. Says jazz archivist and historian Annie Byrnes Kuebler of Rutgers University's Institute of Jazz Studies, "Bill Holman was, is, and will be considered one of the major forces in the history of American Jazz from the early 1950s to the early 21st century." To date, Holman has received 14 Grammy nominations and won three Grammy Awards: Best Instrumental Arrangement of "Take the 'A' Train" for Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra (1987); Best Instrumental Composition for "A View from the Side" for the Bill Holman Band (1995); and Best Instrumental Arrangement of "Straight, No Chaser" for the Bill Holman Band (1997). He was voted "Best Arranger" in the JazzTimes Readers' Poll four times; and received the "Arranger of the Year" award three times in the Down Beat magazine's Readers' Poll and Critics' Poll. In 2000, the Bill Holman Collection of scores and memorabilia became part of the Smithsonian Institution's permanent collection in Washington, DC, and in 2006, Holman was inducted into the Rutgers Jazz Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was doubly honored: a Golden Score Award from the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers and a place in the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Jazz Wall of Fame. The finest jazz educators and musicians on the planet travel to the University of Nevada, Reno each spring to perform and teach at the Reno Jazz Festival and this year is no exception. In addition to evening concerts by world-renowned guest artists Bill Holman Big Band and Ingrid Jensen, the Reno Jazz Festival also offers daytime competitions, workshops and clinics by scores of professional jazz artists and adjudicators for more than 9,000 young jazz musicians from throughout the West. The three-day festival culminates in a showcase concert and awards ceremony Saturday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Lawlor Events Center, to honor the best and brightest young standouts. For more about Bill Holman, visit http://www.arts.gov/national/jazz . For more about Ingrid Jensen, visit http://www.ingridjensen.com/ . For more about The Collective, visit http://www.unr.edu/cla/music/pages/jazz/collective.htm . Individual tickets for Ingrid Jensen and The Collective, April 22: General $20/Senior $17/Student $10. The Ingrid Jensen and The Collective performance (preferred seating) is also included in the festival's Jazz Fan Pass, which provides entry to all festival events April 22-24: General $60. Individual tickets for the Bill Holman Big Band, April 23: General $24/Senior $21/Student $15. The Bill Holman Big Band performance (preferred seating) is also included in the Jazz Fan Pass, which provides entry to all festival events April 22-24: General $60. Individual tickets for the Reno Jazz Festival Showcase and Awards Ceremony, April 24: General $15/Senior $12/Student $8. The Reno Jazz Festival Showcase and Awards Ceremony (preferred seating) is also included in the Jazz Fan Pass, which provides entry to all festival events April 22-24: General $60. To purchase the $60 Jazz Fan Pass, call Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, (775) 784-4046 or 1-800-233-8928, email jazz@unr.edu or visit http://www.unr.edu/rjf To purchase individual tickets in advance (with a convenience fee), visit the Reno Jazz Festival website at http://www.unr.edu/rjf or call 1-800-225-2277. Tickets may also be purchased in person (without a convenience fee) on the University of Nevada, Reno campus at the Lawlor Events Center box office, open weekdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. If the concert is not sold out, tickets may also be purchased at the door the evening of each performance. For more information about the Reno Jazz Festival, call (775) 784-4ART or visit http://www.unr.edu/rjf The University of Nevada, Reno Jazz Festival is funded in part by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the Recovery Act. Additional support is provided by the City of Reno Arts and Culture Commission, Maytan Music Center, the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, and For the Love of Jazz. Accommodations for guest artists are provided by the Sands Regency Casino Hotel. For more information visit http://www.unr.edu/rjf/sponsors.htm . Back to top