News: LaLanne highlights celebrities participating in fan activities at Visa Championships

LaLanne highlights celebrities participating in fan activities at
Visa Championships

August 8, 2007

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2007 – Fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, and Olympic champion Peter Vidmar are among the local and gymnastics celebrities who are participating in the family-friendly activities surrounding the 2007 Visa Championships, Aug. 15-18, in San Jose, Calif. A variety of free fan activities to celebrate USA Gymnastics’ national championships are scheduled for the Visa Championships Fitness Plaza, located at the Circle of Palms near the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose, and the Visa Fan Fest, situated on Autumn Street adjacent to HP Pavilion at San Jose.

“The San Jose Sports Authority and the HP Pavilion have partnered with us to create a number of fun activities for the entire family to complement the 2007 Visa Championships,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “From morning fitness workouts to music, food and autograph signing, we have something for everyone. To have Jack LaLanne join us for our fitness workouts is incredible. We hope everyone in San Jose will come out and enjoy these events.”

Here’s a quick overview of the scheduled activities. 1996 Olympian John Macready is the host for all of the fun and activities at both the Visa Championships Fitness Plaza and the Visa Fan Fest.

· Official kick-off. Mayor Reed will officially start the 2007 Visa Championships on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 12 p.m., at the south entrance of the HP Pavilion at San Jose. In addition to opening the doors, the Mayor will also unveil a special street name for Autumn Street for the duration of the championships. The ceremony precedes the first competition session, the junior men’s artistic gymnastics all-around and individual event finals at 1 p.m.

· Morning fitness workouts, Aug. 16-17. The fun begins bright and early at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and Friday at the Visa Championships Fitness Plaza with morning workouts led by a certified fitness instructor and other gymnastics celebrities. LaLanne will motivate fitness participants on Thursday and Vidmar, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist, will participate in both morning workouts.

· Mid-day gymnastics demonstrations and fitness workouts, Aug. 16-17. From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., local gymnastics clubs will give gymnastics exhibitions during lunchtime to entertain downtown San Jose business people and visitors, as well build awareness for the Visa Championships. Mid-day fitness sessions begin at 12 p.m.

· Visa Fan Fest, Aug. 17-18. The Visa Fan Fest begins immediately after the men’s final day of competition on Friday, and then has two sessions on Saturday, both before and after the senior women’s final competition.

§ The Visa Fan Fest in the evening, which starts after the conclusion of competition, features music, food, beverages and autograph signings with current and former gymnasts.

§ From 3-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Visa Fan Fest will have face-painting, poster-making, interactive fitness and food, along with appearances by gymnastics celebrities. The afternoon version follows the junior women’s competition and precedes the senior women’s competition.

· On the concourse. The excitement continues inside HP Pavilion. Fans can choose from a variety of activities on the concourse, including the AT&T blue room experience, the Tyson Fitness Challenge Zone and autograph opportunities with gymnastics celebrities.

Tickets are still available for the Visa Championships, the national championships for artistic, rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics. Tickets may be purchased at the HP Pavilion Ticket Office; all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone at (408) 998-TIXS; or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Artistic gymnastics will be held at HP Pavilion at San Jose, and rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics are set for the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show, held in conjunction with the Visa Championships, will also be at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

At HP Pavilion, the artistic gymnastics competition schedule for the Visa Championships is: Wednesday, Aug. 15 – 1 p.m., junior men’s all-around and event finals, and 7 p.m., senior men’s first day of competition; Thursday, Aug. 16 – 1 p.m., junior women’s first day of competition, and 7 p.m., senior women’s first day of competition; Friday, Aug. 17 – 7 p.m., senior men’s final day of competition; and Saturday, Aug. 18 – 1 p.m., junior women’s final day of competition, and 6 p.m., senior women’s final day of competition.

About HP Pavilion at San Jose

HP Pavilion at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California. Home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, SAP Open men’s professional tennis tournament and the annual Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament, HP Pavilion also hosts a multitude of events annually including concerts, family shows and civic events.

HP Pavilion at San Jose is an exemplification of architectural excellence and technological innovation. Outside, a shining stainless-steel facade supports a magnificent, glass pyramid entry, soaring 10 stories above the ground. Inside, first-class amenities and leading-edge seismic engineering contribute to the building’s reputation as one of the finest facilities in the United States.

HP Pavilion at San Jose is capable of accommodating a full-range of entertainment. State-of-the-art acoustics, plush seating and a video replay scoreboard add to the comfort and luxury for the venue’s patrons. In addition, the downtown location is easily accessible via several major freeways, light-rail and a regional train station, located across the street.

About San Jose McEnery Convention Center

Considered the hub for meetings and conventions in San Jose, the San Jose McEnery Convention Center opened its doors in April 1989. The facility has 432,000 square feet of function space, including a 22,000 square-foot ballroom and 30 meeting rooms.

About Visa USA

Visa USA is a leading payments brand and the nation's largest payments system, enabling banks to provide their consumer and business customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice, convenience, acceptance and security of Visa payments for all stakeholders – financial institutions, cardholders and merchants. In the United States, more than 521 million Visa-branded cards have been issued by our 13,320 financial institution customers.

Visa products generated nearly $1.8 trillion in total volume in the United States through March 2007 and enjoy unsurpassed acceptance around the globe. For more information, visit www.visa.com.

About the San Jose Sports Authority

The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization that serves as the sports marketing agency for the City of San Jose. Since their inception in 1991, they have worked with community partners to bring more than 150 premier events and programs to the San Jose area. For more information, visit www.sjsa.org.

About USA Gymnastics

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States, encourages participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. For more information, log on to www.usa-gymnastics.org.