FLORIDA’S NATURAL CHARITY CLASSIC PREVIEW

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March 4, 2019) — The second stop on the 2019 “Road to the LPGA” takes the Symetra Tour to the Country Club of Winter Haven for the 11th annual Florida’s Natural Charity Classic from March 15-17.

“Florida’s Natural has been the biggest charitable contributor of any title sponsor we have on the Symetra Tour and their good deeds extend far beyond the course,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “It has been amazing to see this event grow in such dramatic fashion and continue to play an important role in the growth of our players, but also the community it serves.”

Greeting the 132-player field in Winter Haven, Fla. is a total purse of $125,000. Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes.

“On behalf of the Florida’s Natural Growers Foundation, we are pleased to partner with the Symetra Tour for over a decade,” said Nikki Hayde, President of the Florida’s Natural Growers Foundation. “Our organization has been able to support the Central Florida communities with more than $1.8 million dollars in grants, largely from the support of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. As we grow and add to the week’s events each year, we appreciate the Tour and everyone involved that always make this tournament a success.”

Defending champion Lauren Kim (Los Altos, California) is among the competitors, as she made seven starts on the Symetra Tour in 2018 and played the weekend each time. Kim was also in the field for 14 tournaments on the LPGA Tour last year and finished tied for 23rd at the inaugural LPGA Q-Series to earn Priority List Category 14 status for the 2019 season.

“Winning—especially by shooting 9-under par on the last day—was exciting and special because I learned a lot about myself that week,” Kim said. “It gave me the confidence to play the rest of the season on the LPGA Tour. I’m looking forward to defending my title this year and am grateful to Florida’s Natural and the Symetra Tour for teaching me how to win.”

Action gets underway at 8 a.m. ET all three days, with groups going off No. 1 and No. 10 tee in rounds one and two. Meanwhile, the final round will feature twosomes all from No. 1 tee.

ABOUT SYMETRA TOUR
The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 39th competitive season in 2019. With the support of its entitlement partner Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7 million in prize money to $4.0 million in prize money awarded over the course of 24 events. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 437 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/Road2LPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.

ABOUT SYMETRA
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions and independent agents and advisors. Symetra began its partnership with the Road to the LPGA in 2010 as the title sponsor of the Symetra Classic. It secured naming rights for the Symetra Tour in November 2011. In addition to its title sponsorship of the Tour, which runs through 2021, Symetra sponsors two events on the tournament schedule—the Symetra Classic and the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship. For more information about Symetra, visit www.symetra.com.

Syracuse Mets Announce 2019 Promotional Schedule

Giveaways, jersey auctions, Zooperstars!, & more family-friendly, affordable fun!

SYRACUSE, NY – The Syracuse Mets are excited to announce the promotional schedule for the 2019 season, featuring more giveaways, entertainment acts, and fun than ever before. The Mets 2019 season kicks off on Thursday, April 4^th at 2:05 p.m. vs. the Pawtucket Red Sox with a Trapper Hat giveaway, presented by Gannon Pest Control for the first 2,000 fans through the gates.

The Syracuse Mets promotional schedule features 22 fireworks extravaganzas, 10 National Entertainment Acts, 24 promotional giveaways, and discounts on food and beverage on six of the seven days of the week.

“I love all of the unique and exciting promotions we have to offer our fans,” said Syracuse Mets General Manager Jason Smorol. “I am so proud of what the staff has put together. In addition to having some of the highest-caliber athletes and fantastic baseball, we offer an event every night.  We are truly, the most Amazin’ show on dirt!”

Some highlights from the 2019 Promotional Schedule include:

• 4/4 - Opening Day Trapper Hat Giveaway, presented by Gannon Pest Control
• 5/18 – Armed Forces Day on Lockheed Martin Family Day, presented by Lockheed Martin – Tim Tebow Camo bobblehead giveaway
• 5/19 – Nickelodeon Day featuring Paw Patrol with special guest appearance by Marshall, presented by CSEA and Safe Kids
• 6/15 – Little League Night with home youth jersey giveaway, presented by Hofmann and Northwestern Mutual
• 7/5 – Nickelodeon Night featuring SpongeBob SquarePants with special guest appearance by SpongeBob SquarePants and Tyler’s Balancing Act
• 7/28 – Peppa Pig appearance on Kids Eat Free Sunday
• 8/23 – 8/25 - Salt Potatoes Power Move Weekend with Salt Potatoes jersey giveaway, plus a bobblehead giveaway, presented by Embassy Suites.

In addition to these new and exciting promotions in 2019, fan favorites like the Zooperstars!, $1 Thursdays, Kids Eat Free Sundays with post-game run the bases, and Wall of Fame Day will return.

For a complete and up-to-date list of all 2019 promotions, please visit SyracuseMets.com.

Tickets for all the 2019 Syracuse Mets season are available now at the Onondaga Coach Ticket Office at NBT Bank Stadium, over the phone during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or online anytime at SyracuseMets.com.

New Features Mean New Fan Experience at NBT Bank Stadium in 2019

Mets introduce new group ticket platform, auction site, food options, and more!

SYRACUSE, NY – The Syracuse Mets are proud to introduce several new features at NBT Bank Stadium this season. Fans can expect an improved fan experience with new ticketing platforms, auction site, food options, VIP parking, and more.

“We always listen to what our fans say, and we do our best every year to adapt to make their experience here at NBT Bank Stadium the best it can be,” said Jason Smorol, Syracuse Mets General Manager. “My staff and I have been working hard all off-season to bring the fans the best in 2019, and we are so excited to introduce these new features to the community!”

New to NBT Bank Stadium this year:

Tickets.com: A brand new, user-friendly ticketing system that allows fans to receive emailed tickets & save tickets to apple wallet to be scanned upon entry

Groupmatics: A group ticket platform that simplifies the group planning process and allows group members to choose their own seats, see who they are sitting next to, and electronically deliver tickets

LiveSource: An online auction and raffle platform that connects Mets fans across the country & allows anyone to bid on Syracuse Mets jerseys from anywhere. Fans in Syracuse can also participate in other Mets jersey auctions from Binghamton & St. Lucie – just download the app on your phone!

The Hops Spot at NBT Bank Stadium: The Hops Spot at historic NBT Bank Stadium is your new home for Craft Beer Fridays & your go-to destination to find the beers you love but can’t find anyplace else.

The Rescue Mission 50/50 Raffle: The Rescue Mission is joining the team & will operate the 50/50 Raffle during Mets home games this season – help support the Rescue Mission.  Half of the daily jackpot will go to one lucky fan and the other half will support the Rescue Mission, a local charity that has been serving people in need in CNY since 1887.

VIP Parking: Many fans wanted a better parking option. For only $10, guests will be able to park on the third base side of the stadium close to the front entrance. 

Wings, Speidies & Bud: Fans can enjoy .50-cent wings every Wednesday for Wingin’ It Winning Wednesdays. Lupos Speidies will now be available at concession stands around the stadium. We’re also welcoming Budweiser products, including Budweiser, Bud Light, and more!

$1 Thursday: The greatest invention in the history of baseball now gets better with more productive service.  Fans can purchase up to (4) hot dogs per transaction on Thursdays to help speed up concession lines & get you back to your seat to watch the action. More hot dog and beer locations will also be created so we can serve the fans better.

Kids Eat Free Family Sunday: There is no better deal than this: kids 12 & under eat for free every Sunday with the purchase of a children’s ticket. Instead of receiving your complimentary food during specific innings, you can now redeem your free kids food anytime during the game that Sunday!

Tickets for the 2019 Syracuse Mets season are available now at the Onondaga Coach Ticket Office at NBT Bank Stadium, over the phone during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or online anytime at SyracuseMets.com.

Syracuse Mets Announce Pre-Season Fundraiser: Meet the Syracuse Mets

Support the local community and dine with your favorite Mets player

SYRACUSE, NY – The Syracuse Mets will be hosting a brand-new fundraising event which will also give fans their first opportunity to meet the 2019 Syracuse Mets players and coaching staff. Meet the Syracuse Mets will take place on Tuesday, April 2^nd at Embassy Suites Destiny USA from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.  This Meet the Syracuse Mets dinner will benefit the Challenger Baseball League, RBI Baseball League, and District 8 Little League.

“Having a new team gives us an opportunity for a fresh idea,” said Syracuse Mets General Manager Jason Smorol.  “This dinner is a little different take on the traditional Hot Stove dinner we did in the past. The Hot Stove dinner gave fans the chance to meet a few players and the Manager. Meet the Syracuse Mets gives fans the chance to meet the entire team just before the season starts.”

Meet the Syracuse Mets will be an opportunity for fans to meet and dine with the 2019 Syracuse Mets team. Tickets for the event are $75 for adults and $45 for children 12 & under. Fans will be randomly seated at a table with at least one player and/or coach for the Syracuse Mets. Tables are available for $700.  Seating is limited and only 30 tables will be sold.  The event is a sit-down full dinner with player interviews and a Q&A opportunity.

In addition, fans can participate in a silent auction, featuring autographed items, NBT Bank Stadium memorabilia, and items from local CNY organizations. The proceeds of the silent auction will benefit the organizations: Challenger baseball, RBI Baseball, and District 8 Little League.

Meet the Syracuse Mets is sponsored by NBT Bank, Visit Syracuse, Embassy Suite at Destiny USA, Coca-Cola, and Cumulus Media Group.

Tickets for Meet the Mets will go on sale March 11^th at the Onondaga Coach Ticket Office at NBT Bank Stadium, over the phone during regular office hours (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or online anytime at SyracuseMets.com. Fans can also purchase tickets to any regular season home game at NBT Bank Stadium to see the Syracuse Mets in action.

The CNY Challenger Baseball League is the nations largest baseball league that provides the opportunity for children and adults of all mental and physical capabilities to play. http://syracusechallengerbaseball.com/

Syracuse RBI uses baseball and softball and the power of team to provide inner city youth with the opportunity to play, to learn, and to grow - inspiring them to recognize their potential and realize their dreams.  http://www.syracuserbi.com/

District 8 Little League covers 28 leagues including girls’ softball and provides an excellent outlet of clean, competitive baseball fun for our community.

Norm Duke Earns Top Berth for Sunday’s PBA Jonesboro Open Finals

PBA Hall of Famer to compete for second consecutive title, 40th career victory

JONESBORO, Ark. (March 1, 2019) – PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke needs to win one more match Sunday to become the third player in Professional Bowlers Association history to win 40 career titles after earning the top berth in the PBA Jonesboro Open stepladder finals at Hijinx Family Entertainment Friday.

Sunday’s finals will air live on FS1 at 5 p.m. Eastern. Also qualifying for the finals are EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., in second place with a 30-game total of 6,803 pins – 43 behind Duke; Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, 6,794 pins; Kris Prather of Plainfield, Ill., 6,715, and Japan’s premier player, Shota Kawazoe, 6,709.

Duke, Tackett and Simonsen are trying for their second title of the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season. Prather and Kawazoe are each looking for his first PBA Tour title.

“That was a long, long day,” Duke said of the two eight-game rounds of head-to-head match play on a challenging mixed lane condition environment. “As soon as you thought you could put some distance between guys, up jumped the devil. It was so hard. The left lane was so slippery; on the right lane the ball would check up and you’d leave some ugly spares. You couldn’t remember what lane you were on, what target you were throwing at, where you wanted to start…

“It would wear you to death. If you don’t believe it, just look at all the carnage out there.

“I know I’m in the lead, but I feel like I choked it. I didn’t feel like I bowled well,” Duke continued. “But then I said, Norm, the lanes are just hard. Deal with it.”

Duke, who turns 55 in less than a month, said he has never given up on winning another PBA Tour title, but he also never thought about getting to 40 titles, a milestone only Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Earl Anthony have exceeded with 47 and 43 titles, respectively. Even after winning his 39th title last Sunday in the Go Bowling! PBA Indianapolis Open, winning 40 wasn’t a target.

Sunday, he’ll await the survivor of three preliminary matches to bowl one game for another slice of bowling history.

“One more game to win,” he said. “It’s a tough ordeal, but would I rather be in the lead or not? I get to bowl more one game for the title. As cool as the idea of 40 titles is, you forget about all of it. You don’t think about accomplishments. It’s just win one more game.”

All rounds of the Jonesboro Open, a Tier 3 event in the 2019 PBA Playoffs points competition, were contested on a mixed lane conditioning environment where the 45-foot Shark oiling pattern was applied to the left lane and the 36-foot Viper pattern to the right lane.

Next up on the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule is the 10th anniversary PBA World Series of Bowling at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich., March 11-21. The PBA’s next televised event is the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals, presented by the PBA, on FS1 Sunday, March 10, at 10 p.m. EST.

PBA JONESBORO OPEN

Hijinx Family Entertainment Center, Jonesboro, Ark., Friday

Final Match Play Standings (after 30 games, including match play bonus pins. Top five advance to the live FS1 finals Sunday at 5 p.m. EST)

1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 9-7, 6,846.
2, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 10-6, 6,803.
3, Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 10-6, 6,794.
4, Kris Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 7-9, 6,715.
5, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 11-5, 6,709.
Other Cashers (after 30 games):

6, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 11-5, 6,707, $5,000.
7, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 7-8-1, 6,635, $4,500.
8, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 10-6, 6,611, $4,000.
9, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 9-7, 6,513, $3,500.
10, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 6-10, 6,511, $3,200.
11, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 9-7, 6,506, $3,000.
12, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 7-9, 6,421, $2,900.
13, Richie Teece, England, 7-9, 6,368, $2,800.
14, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 6-10, 6,307, $2,700.
15, Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 3-11-2, 6,257, $2,600.
16, Mike Coffey, Melbourne, Fla., 4-11-1, 6,172, $2,500.

300 Game: Kris Prather.

Mets Partner with NYS Fair to Introduce the Syracuse Butter Sculptures

The entire 2019 promotional schedule to be announced, 3/2 at the Open House

SYRACUSE, NY – The Syracuse Mets are happy to announce a partnership with the Great NYS Fair for the 2019 season to bring the Syracuse Butter Sculptures to NBT Bank Stadium, Saturday, July 13^th. Fans can learn more about Butter Sculptures Night and the rest of the 2019 Syracuse Mets promotional schedule at the Open House, Saturday, March 2^nd from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Open House will take place at NBT Bank Stadium and is free to attend.

“We are proud residents of NYS and we are thrilled to be working with the Fair to bring the Butter Sculptures to NBT Bank Stadium,” said Jason Smorol, general manager. “This is a fun way to support our community, state, and baseball here in CNY.”

The Butter Sculptures are based off the famous butter sculpture featured at the NYS Fair each year. The team will wear specialty Butter Sculptures jerseys and caps on the field that night. The jerseys, presented by Fidelis Care, will be auctioned off to raise money for Griffin’s Guardians that night. In addition, the first 1000 fans through the gates that night will receive a Scooch Butter Sculpture bobblehead.

At 10:30 a.m. fans are welcome to join Mets General Manager Jason Smorol in the Hank Sauer Room at NBT Bank Stadium for the announcement of the 2019 promotional schedule and a Q&A session. In addition, fans can purchase individual games tickets, shop in the Team Store, take batting practice in the batting cages, and get a behind the scenes look at the stadium on a guided stadium tour. Stadium tours will leave from the lobby of the stadium at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Tickets for all the 2019 Syracuse Mets season will go on sale Saturday, March 2^nd at 9 a.m. at the Onondaga Coach Ticket Office at NBT Bank Stadium. Fans will be able to purchase tickets online at syracusemets.com anytime once tickets go on sale. Phone orders can be processed by calling 315-474-7833 beginning Monday, March 4^th at 9 a.m.

Sunset Repeat Tour

Luke Bryan

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

Cole Swindell & Jon Langston

September 12

ON-SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 8 AT 10:00 AM
BUY TICKETS AT
www.BethelWoodsCenter.org
Ticketmaster, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 or Ticketmaster outlets
 

Media Contact: 
Bridget Smith
v.845.583.2179
Photos & Interviews Available Upon Request 
bsmith@bethelwoodscenter.org

About Bethel Woods Center for the Arts 
 Located on the National Register Historic Site of the 1969 Woodstock festival just 90 miles northwest of New York City in the Catskills’ Sullivan County, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a 501c3 nonprofit cultural center focusing on history, creativity, and community. Home to an award-winning museum devoted to the story of the 1960’s and a 15,000-seat entertainment venue, Bethel Woods is a must-visit tourist and cultural destination, attracting local, national, and international visitors.
 
Supported by public contributions and performance revenues, Bethel Woods has evolved into an innovative, program-driven cultural center where visitors experience the world-class museum, teaching facilities and state-of-the art outdoor and indoor music venues. The expanded Woodstock site is part of a modern, beautifully designed complex surrounded by 800 acres of rolling hills, woods, manicured gardens, and water features.
 
For more information please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.