Send-Off Ceremony for Team Dennis Conner and Stars & Stripes Announcement of ACE's Sponsorship of New York Firefighters to World Firefighter Games in New Zealand
Firefighter Games to Coincide with Start of America's Cup Series; New York Firefighters to Join Dennis Conner and Stars & Stripes Crew in New Zealand
(EMAILWIRE.COM, August 26, 2002 ) In one of the great sailing centers in the U.S. -- Newport, Rhode Island -- the ACE Group of Companies hosted a send-off ceremony August 24th, for the America's Cup "Stars & Stripes" crew, celebrating the sponsorship for 20 New York City Firefighters to compete in the World Firefighter Games in New Zealand. Dennis Conner -- skipper of the Stars & Stripes Team -- and representatives of the New York City Firefighter delegation were on hand for the official send-off event.
Conner and the Stars & Stripes team, sponsored by ACE, a global insurance company, on Sunday, August 25th, left for New Zealand to begin preparations for the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series, which begins on October 22nd. Once in New Zealand, the firefighters and their guests will also join the Stars & Stripes team as they begin the first leg of the America's Cup competition.
The World Firefighters Games (WFFG) is a major international sporting event initiated by a committee of international firefighters in 1990. Held every two years in a different location, the WFFG offers more than 70 unique sporting events. This year's games, deemed "The Memorial Games" in honor of all fallen firefighters following the attacks of September 11, will be held October 26th to November 2nd in Christchurch, New Zealand and expect over 4,000 firefighters from nearly 60 countries. To commemorate these games, three pieces of the World Trade Center are being flown down to the event, and will be dedicated to the games during a memorial celebration. A parcel of land next to Christchurch's central fire station has been set aside for a commemorative park dedicated to firefighters killed in the line of duty.
The America's Cup is a best-of-nine match between the current trophy holder, New Zealand, and the Challenger, who is determined through a four-month elimination process determined by the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series. The event is yachting's oldest and most revered trophy, dating back more than 150 years.
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Produced for ACE Group of Companies
Contact:
Christian Hodgkinson, chodgkinson@gavinanderson.com
212-515-1943 (office)
Krista Ruhe, Kruhe@gavinanderson.com
212-515-1971 (office)
917-514-4286 (cell)
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