[ Contact Info ] • Web Site: www.greatLVsoccer.com • Telephone #: 607-432-4365 • Fax #: 607-432-4430 • E-mail: greatLVsoccer@colassoc.com • E-mail: tournaments@colassoc.com • Mail: Great Lehigh Valley Soccer Festival % Lehigh Valley Sports Commission PO Box 20785, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0785		[ Press Releases ] February 17, 2004 Contact: Albert Colone, (607) 432-4365 albert@colassoc.com Gene Nichols, (610) 882-9200 gnichols@lehighvalleypa.org THE MORNING CALL SIGNS ON TO SPONSOR GREAT LEHIGH VALLEY SOCCER FESTIVAL (Lehigh Valley, PA) -- The Morning Call, one of eastern Pennsylvania's leading newspapers has agreed to become the exclusive "print media" partner to the Great Lehigh Valley Soccer Festival. The tournament will take place over the Labor Day Weekend; the actual playing dates are Saturday, September 4th and Sunday, September 5th in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Now in its second year in the Lehigh Valley, the tournament expects to attract upwards of 150 regional teams, with an estimated 2,100 players, families and fans. As part of the new arrangement, The Morning Call will provide the official event program, lead-up advertising to the tournament and a call info-tel information line. The Morning Call will join Service Electric, the official cable media partner, as presenting sponsors charged with heightening interest and awareness in the tournament throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley Area. Albert Colone, President of Colone Associates, creators and professional managers of the Great Lehigh Valley Soccer Festival, noted that “having this level of regional media involvement will be a major asset in helping to grow this tournament into one of the best and most respected youth sports events in the country.” The Lehigh Valley Soccer Club is the official host soccer club to the tournament, which is sanctioned through the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association. The Morning Call is the largest daily newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, with an approximate circulation of 123,000 on weekdays and 167,000 on weekends. It is published by The Tribune Company. Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and the Great Allentown Fair are also sponsor partners to the event, providing added value to the tournament. Such participation by regional attractions and events gives the Great Lehigh Valley Soccer Festival the advantage of packaging an entertaining and memorable soccer vacation destination, primarily for travel soccer teams from states along the east coast. Last year, four teams from Canada also participated. For more information, please visit www.greatLVsoccer.com. The Lehigh Valley Sports Commission is an arm of the Lehigh Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, the designated tourism promotion agency of Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Its mission is to attract sporting events to the Lehigh Valley through effective marketing, bid coordination and hosting activities. For information on the Lehigh Valley Sports Commission call (800) 747-0561 or visit www.lvsports.net.