Team Spartanburg, Wofford, City of Spartanburg to host Panthers Party 2007

SPARTANBURG, SC - A festival atmosphere will fill the Wofford College site of summer training camp of the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, July 28, as Spartanburg welcomes the NFL team for its 13th season. The team reports for camp on Friday, July 27, with practice beginning on Saturday morning. Camp runs through Aug. 22.

Panthers Party 2007, presented by the City of Spartanburg, Wofford College and Team Spartanburg, the sports council of the Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., with the Panthers’ practice scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. The event is sponsored by ESPN 1400 AM and the Herald-Journal.

Admission and parking are free.

The party again will include performances by the Panthers Top Cat cheerleaders and mascot Sir Purr. Mick Mixon of the Panthers’ announcing team will be the master of ceremonies, and he will show off his musical talents as his band, Sideways Slim and the Radials, performs during the event.

The Herald-Journal again is sponsoring the Greatest Panthers Fan Contest, with a category for adults (age 14 and older) and one for youngsters ages 6-13. The winner of the adult category will receive two tickets to a preseason Panthers game; the winner in the kids’ category will be entitled to be a Panther Pal at camp, a special opportunity to meet players and view practice from field level.
Drawings will be held for numerous prizes, including season tickets to Wofford Terriers football and the grand prize of two tickets to a preseason Panthers game. Loads of fun and activities will fill the evening, culminating in the showing on a mega-video screen the highlights of the Panthers’ 2006 season.

The Panthers and Gatorade will present the 2007 Gatorade/NFL “Beat the Heat” Safety Awareness program to call attention to the prevention and treatment of heat illnesses on the football field during the summer. The program, a partnership with the Kendrick Fincher Foundation, will include the Gatorade Junior Training Camp in which kids can participate in their own version of training camp through football interactives and a donation initiative for the foundation; those providing a $1 donation will receive a Gatorade squeeze bottle.

The Panthers Experience, free interactive games and activities, will be open for the youngsters’ enjoyment, while football fans of all ages will get the thrill of watching as the Panthers on the practice field.

With a morning practice scheduled for 9:10 a.m. on Saturday, the day will begin with opportunities to watch the team take to the field for the first time this year. It also will be the first day of the Panther Pals program, which gives children ages 6 to 13 the chance to be selected for special viewing of practice and to meet players following practice. Registration will be at the Team Spartanburg/Panther Pals tent at the entrance to camp.

Every year, the drama and excitement of the NFL season begins at training camp, and fans of the Carolina Panthers get a front-row seat at Wofford College. A record 25,370 fans flocked to training camp during 2006, and the crowds are expected to continue to grow.

Practices are free and open to the public. For the full schedule and updates, go to www.TeamSpartanburgSC.org or www.Panthers.com, or call 1-800-374-TEAM or (864) 594-5050.

“Since the Panthers appeared in the Super Bowl, attendance to training camp has more than doubled – from an average of 10,000 to 12,000 each year to nearly 24,000 in 2004, our largest attendance, and more than 21,000 in 2005,” says Jules Bryant, executive director of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Last year, we reached a record 25,370 visitors to camp.”

“Visitors flock to Spartanburg to be able to see these elite athletes prepare for their grueling season,” says Mike Shetterly (Ogletree Deakins), chair of Team Spartanburg, the sports council of the CVB. “We saw a $1.3 million economic impact on our community during the 2004 season, when we last did a survey of expenditures made by the team, the fans and the media who come from all over the country to cover the Panthers. They all say ‘Spartanburg’ in their reports, and that kind of exposure is tough to put a price tag on.”

OTHER TRAINING CAMP INFORMATION:
SCHEDULE:
The Carolina Panthers 2007 training camp will be from July 27-Aug. 22 at Wofford College. All training camp practices are free and open to the public with each practice session lasting between 90 minutes and two hours. Please be aware that practice times and lengths are subject to change without notice.
For a full schedule, go to www.TeamSpartanburgSC.org or www.Panthers.com.

PANTHERS EXPERIENCE:
If you have ever wondered how it feels to stand under a punt and try to catch a football spiraling downward or have wanted to test the accuracy of your passing arm, you can find out at the Panthers Experience, a series of interactive games where fans can test their skills. "Fair Catch" and "Football Toss" are just two of the interactive games that will be a part of the Panthers Experience.

The Panthers Experience is geared toward children and will be open during practice from July 28-Aug. 15 with some exceptions. (For a full schedule, go to www.Panthers.com. )

Not only will fans be able to test their skills in receiving, passing and catching punts, but there will also be an inflatable obstacle course and stadium bounce where anyone can go when they tire of honing their talents. Additionally, there will be picture opportunities behind the "Look Like a Pro" mannequin.

PANTHER PALS:
Panther Pals, a partnership of the Panthers, Wofford College and Team Spartanburg, offers children between the ages of 6 and 13 a special opportunity to watch part of select morning practices from field level and then spend time with a player or small group of players after practice. Each day's experience is unique and dependent on player schedules and availability as determined by the Panthers.

Children can register for their chance to be a Panther Pal at the Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau/Team Spartanburg tent at the morning practice on July 28, July 30, Aug. 1, Aug. 3, Aug. 6, Aug. 8, Aug. 13 and Aug. 15.

The tent is located outside the main gate to the practice fields. Five names will be randomly chosen about 30 minutes before the end of the practice session. The children selected will receive a Panther Pal T-shirt and will be escorted to a special area to watch the conclusion of practice.

When practice is over, Panther Pals meet the participating players, talk to them, and stay with them while they sign autographs on their way to the training facility.

Team Spartanburg’s mission is to promote Spartanburg as a destination for sports events. The sports council, made up of more than 100 volunteers, recruits new events and provides assistance to existing sports events. Team Spartanburg is supported by its partners:

Champions – City of Spartanburg, Coca-Cola, ESPN 1400 AM, JM Smith Corp., Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System,

MVPs – Celebrate Community/Herald-Journal, Wofford College

All-Stars – Ogletree Deakins, Radisson Hotel & Suties, Showcase Marketing, Spartanburg Marriott at Renaissance Park, Spartanburg Methodist College, University of South Carolina Upstate
More about Panthers Training Camp

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