The Texas Tech Club, a new private member club to be located in Jones AT&T Stadium, announces it is on track for a mid-September opening and will be hosting its first pre-game Tailgate Tent party for the Red Raiders' season opener against SMU on Sept. 5.

With its floor-to-ceiling windows, the private club offers panoramic views of the stadium facing west and downtown Lubbock to the east, and will serve as host throughout the season to home game pre-game pep rallies and game-day Tailgate Tent parties for members. The Texas Tech Club also will serve as a gathering spot for alumni, faculty, and staff along with the Lubbock professional, civic, and social community. A range of membership classifications are available with resident and non-resident offerings, and special pricing for faculty and junior alumni.  

"We are excited about the grand opening of the Texas Tech Club and ClubCorp becoming an active member of Texas Tech and the surrounding communities," said Eric Affeldt, ClubCorp's president and CEO.  "Our university aligned business clubs have proven to be very popular venues where alumni, fans, and friends continue to congregate and take pride in their alma mater while enjoying an upscale setting."  

The club design will reflect Texas Tech's rich history and amenities will include an upscale dining room that seats 80 people with its own dedicated "exposition kitchen," a casual bar and grill, private dining rooms, and multimedia-capable business rooms. Dedicated parking on non-home game days along with easy access from the Marsha Sharp Freeway will make the club convenient for its members.  

In addition to operating the club, ClubCorp will provide food and beverage catering services for the suites and premium seat holders on both sides of the stadium on game days as well as supply catering for all non-game-day meetings and events at the stadium.

ClubCorp operates 50 business and sports clubs around the country, which includes the University of Texas Club located in the Darrel K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium on the UT campus in Austin and the University Center Club in Doak Campbell Stadium on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee.

About ClubCorp

Dallas-based ClubCorp, Inc. is The World Leader in Private Clubs. Since its founding in 1957, ClubCorp has operated with the central purpose of building relationships and enriching the lives of its members. ClubCorp owns or operates a network of more than 150 golf and country clubs, business clubs, sports clubs, and resorts that serve nearly 400,000 members with more than 16,000 dedicated employees. ClubCorp properties include Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio); Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Austin, Texas); Mission Hills Country Club (Rancho Mirage, California); Capital Club Beijing; and Metropolitan Club Chicago. For more information, visit www.clubcorp.com.

SOURCE ClubCorp

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New York Giants rookie wide receiver, Victor Cruz, tops the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of September.  The list ranks the top ten U.S. sports professionals from all major sports who experienced the greatest relative growth in popularity during the prior thirty days.  Cruz has had a breakout pre-season and currently leads the league with 251 receiving yards and four touchdowns. As an undrafted free-agent wide receiver from UMass Amherst, Cruz is competing for a spot on the Giants' roster and has quickly emerged as an athlete-to-watch, with 12 catches in just three exhibition games to date.

"Sports fans love a Cinderella story and found one in Victor Cruz after his amazing one-handed scoring catch against the Jets," said Ryan Steelberg, President & CEO of BAT. "Cruz may be the next Miles Austin – an undrafted, young wide receiver who proves himself invaluable on the field."

Rising Sports Stars is distributed by Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), a company that calculates daily consumer affinity based on a proprietary combination of media exposure, performance, awards, popularity, engagement, and fan base, among other indicators, for more than 38,000 athletes and celebrities.  Sports professionals can see their popularity jump based on a notable achievement, consistency of play, or something that happens off the field that lands them on the Rising Sports Stars list.

September Rising Sports Stars

(Details at: http://www.brandaffinity.net/risingstars/september2010)

1. Victor Cruz (New York Giants)
2. Arjun Atwal (PGA)
3. Caroline Wozniacki (WTA)
4. Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers)
5. Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers)
6. Patrick Willis (San Francisco 49ers)
7. Mike Wallace (Pittsburgh Steelers)
8. Gaby Sanchez (Florida Marlins)
9. Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)
10. Sam Bradford (St. Louis Rams)

Rising Sports Stars lists go live at the start of each month; subscribe to BAT's Twitter feed at @BATimpact to learn when new lists are posted.

About Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc.  (BAT)

Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) unlocks the marketing power of celebrity through research, endorsements, and interactive experiences. BAT's research engine provides daily analysis of more than 38,000 celebrities and athletes. Advertisers use this analysis on BAT's Endorsement Platform to identify, license, and activate the most effective talent for their campaigns. Currently available endorsement talent includes more than 3,600 celebrities and sports superstars such as Drew Brees (NFL), Andy Pettitte (MLB), Rajon Rondo (NBA), Brooks Robinson (MLB – Hall of Fame), Walt Frazier (NBA – Hall of Fame), and Lennox Lewis (Boxing). BAT also engages consumers directly through netBAT (www.netbat.com), which transforms celebrity content into interactive experiences on leading websites. Learn more about BAT in Fortune Magazine at www.fortune.com/bat. Connect with BAT on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrandAffinityTech and Twitter:@BATimpact.

SOURCE Brand Affinity Technologies

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Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach Resort, located in Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas, is offering a special all-inclusive rate for the Conchman Triathlon taking place in Freeport in November. The rate for participating athletes and event spectators at the popular resort is $135 per person, per night, double occupancy.  

Marking the 24th year of the Conchman Triathlon, the event draws athletes and spectators from North America and other parts of the world. The Conchman includes a 1K swim, 25K bike ride and a 5K run. Additionally, kids ages 12 and younger can participate in the Iron Kids event which includes a 200 meter swim, a two mile bike ride and a half mile run. This year's Triathlon will take place on Saturday, November 6 at Taino Beach and will benefit Grand Bahama Local Charities, Freeport Aquatics Club and the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association.

The Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach offers 276 island inspired guest rooms with balconies and features 1,200 feet of white sands and crystal clear waters. As the only all-inclusive resort on the island, it is surrounded by tropical forests and parklands. Additionally, one of the world's largest reef systems is located just off shore which makes for memorable snorkeling. The resort is a 45 minute flight from Florida and 13 miles from Freeport Airport.

The Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach also offers an eclectic blend of local and international culinary delights at its three restaurants. Junkanoo is buffet style and serves delicious international fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Viva Cafe features world-class Italian cuisine a-la-carte style and Bambu offers Asian cuisine. Snacks and beverages are available throughout the day at the resort's cocktail lounge and beach bar. Additionally, guests can enjoy the new Viva Circus which offers thrilling acrobatic performances, stunts and interactive trapeze lessons.

For reservations, call 800-WYNDHAM or visit www.vivawyndhamresorts.com. For more information about the Conchman Triathlon visit www.conchman.com.

About Viva Wyndham Resorts:

Viva Wyndham Resorts features all-inclusive properties throughout the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Mexico. Viva Wyndham Resorts' multilingual staff, tropical settings, extensive amenities and thorough entertainment line-up ensures guests a truly customized vivid all-inclusive experience. As part of the brand's passion for life, it strives to protect all the resort's surrounding environments and cultures by implementing green programs throughout its resorts.  For reservations or more information, call 800-WYNDHAM or visit www.vivawyndhamresorts.com.

SOURCE Viva Wyndham Resorts

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Aflac, the No. 1 provider of voluntary and guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States, today announced that Mike Ferguson of Rockford, Ill., is the winner of its nationwide Finding the All-American Worker contest. Ferguson, a machinist in the heavy equipment industry, will receive a trip for two to Atlanta for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience at the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 5, including a meeting with NASCAR driver Carl Edwards.

Ferguson was nominated by his 19-year-old stepdaughter, Kristiani Groeling, through the Aflac Racing page on Facebook. Groeling asked for Ferguson to be selected as the All-American Worker for going above and beyond the call of duty both on and off the job. Aflac received nominations from across the country and public voting on the contest page determined the top five submissions. An Aflac judging panel then selected a winner.

"At Aflac, we've had the American workforce under our wing for 55 years," said Danny Fleishman, vice president of Sponsorships and Emerging Markets at Aflac. "This promotion allows us to honor hard-working Americans everywhere by spotlighting an exemplary individual like Mike Ferguson. We hope he enjoys his Labor Day weekend and one-of-a-kind experience at the track."

Groeling explained that her stepfather has worked tirelessly in the heavy equipment industry for 16 years, exhibiting relentless kindness, unparalleled loyalty and absolute dedication in everything he does. And she says he's so passionate about his job that he even uses his personal time to search for ways to improve his work with new parts and designs. But Groeling added that Ferguson doesn't stop there, explaining that you can find her stepfather any day of the week helping neighbors and friends in need with household repairs, graciously giving of his time and talents.

"Celebrating the spirit of the American worker is what Labor Day is all about," said Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion. "Mike is a great example of all the hard-working NASCAR fans, and we're proud to have him as part of our team in Atlanta."

In the short essay she wrote to nominate her stepfather, Groeling said Ferguson "showed me the true meaning of elbow grease, leading by example and teaching us to do things the right way the first time — no shortcuts permitted in work and in life. Mike is not just a stepfather, he is a role model in everything."

Ferguson will be taking his stepdaughter to the track with him in Atlanta. They're both avid NASCAR fans and have traveled to a number of races over the years.

"For me, the greatest part of this experience will be getting to share it with Kristiani," said Ferguson. "Carl Edwards is her driver. This is a lifelong dream for her to meet Carl."

To learn more about Aflac, Carl Edwards and the Aflac Racing Team, visit AflacRacing.com.

About Aflac

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For four consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, and Forbes magazine named Aflac as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the twelfth consecutive year and also included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the ninth time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team, operating eight motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Colin Braun, Brian Ickler and Paul Menard. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log on to www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100423/CL92305LOGO )

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100423/CL92305LOGO )

SOURCE Aflac

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Industry-leading yoga and fitness apparel company, Zobha, announces the launch of its new menswear collection.  The line was created for men who seek technically-sophisticated and handsome apparel options to suit their active lifestyle both in and out of the yoga studio.  

Recognizing a void in the men's yoga apparel category, Zobha Founder and Designer, Jamie Hanna developed the men's collection with the same keen eye for detail and stylish aesthetic signature as her women's designs.  The Fall line, inspired by "stormy skies," introduces an edited assortment of year-round performance basics including a sleeveless tee, short-sleeved v-neck tee, Essential short, hot yoga short, Essential pant, zip jacket and pullover for men.  Designed in a modern and masculine color palette of Midnight Blue, Skyway, Spruce and Fig, the line is both attractive and performance focused.  

"Many men have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of comfortable and stylish options available to them when shopping for yoga apparel," explains Hanna.  "I hope the new line will make men feel comfortable and confident, allowing them to fully focus on developing their practice and workout routines."

All styles feature simple lines, a tailored fit and a fabric blend of Supplex® and LYCRA® which is soft to the skin, wicks moisture and supports the body without binding.  Smooth elastic waistbands are designed for comfort and strength retention while zippered pockets allow handy storage for locker keys, an iPod and gym card.  The Essential short has a built-in brief made of high-performance nylon mesh to help keep the wearer secure and dry.

The men's collection is available this fall on Zobha's ecommerce site, Zobha.com and at leading yoga studios, fitness clubs and other stores where the Zobha style and message resonates with consumers.  Retail prices range from $48 to $110.

About Zobha

Zobha was born from a desire to create superior performance yoga and fitness apparel with a distinctive design aesthetic and a brand that inspires and fosters the grace that lives within each human heart. "Zobha" is a Sanskrit word meaning grace, beauty and brilliance.  Zobha apparel is designed to promote easy, elegant movement and offers exceptional fabrication, fit and performance characteristics.  The complete Zobha line is available at zobha.com and at select specialty retailers where our message of grace and style resonates with the customer.

SOURCE Zobha

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