SPARTANBURG, SC — Spartanburg will celebrate the arrival of the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, July 26, with Panthers Party 2008, featuring Top Cat cheerleaders, Sir Purr, music, contests, giveaways and much more.

A festival atmosphere will fill the Wofford College site of summer training camp of the Panthers as the community welcomes the NFL team for its 14th season. The team reports for camp on Friday, July 25, with practice beginning at 9:10 a.m. on Saturday. Camp runs through Aug. 13.

Panthers Party 2008, presented by Academy Sports and Outdoor, the City of Spartanburg, Wofford College and Team Spartanburg Sports Council, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, with the Panthers’ evening practice scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. The event also is sponsored by ESPN 1400 AM, the Herald-Journal, Hooters of Spartanburg, Costco and Best Buy.  Windsor Medicare Extra will host the “Senior Oasis,” an area for older fans to get out of the sun and heat.

Admission and parking are free.

The party again will include performances by the Panthers Top Cat cheerleaders and mascots Sir Purr and Big Daddy Purr.  The Enforcers will provide musical entertainment.

The Herald-Journal again will present 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’ 2007 season.

The Panthers and Gatorade will present the 2008 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 to meet players and watch part of practice from a special viewing are. Registration will be at the Team Spartanburg tent at the entrance to camp.

Panthers 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.

“Visitors flock to Spartanburg to be able to see these elite athletes prepare for their grueling season,” says Chuck Dixon (Alliance Business Associates), chairman of Team Spartanburg. “Spartanburg realizes about $1 million in economic impact for our during training camp, with spending coming from 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 2008 training camp practices will be from July 26-Aug. 13 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 26-Aug. 7 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 Team Spartanburg tent at the morning practice on July 26, July 28, July 30, Aug. 1, Aug. 4 and Aug. 6.  (Schedule subject to change without notice.)

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.

Going Madden!
Team Spartanburg Sports Council and Best Buy have teamed up with the Spartanburg City Parks & Recreation Department and the Spartanburg County Parks & Recreation Department to present the 2nd Annual Team Spartanburg/Best Buy Madden Football Tournament July 21 through 25. The winner of the tournament gets to face off with a REAL Carolina Panthers player to determine the champion.

Youths ages 8 to 14 are eligible to participate in the tournament; limit of 64 participants per preliminary location.  Registration is going on now at these four local recreation centers where the preliminaries will be held:

C.C. Woodson Recreation Center (Spartanburg) – July 21, 4 p.m.
Inman Recreation Center (Inman) – July 22, 1 p.m.
Middle Tyger Recreation Center (Duncan) – July 23, 10 a.m.
Northwest Recreation Center (Spartanburg) – July 24, 10 a.m.

Finals and the championship being held on Friday, July 25, at Wofford College. The top 10 finishers from each location will be invited to attend the finals and championship.

ESPN 1400 AM is a sponsor of the event.

For information, contact Mindy Garrett at Best Buy at mindy.garrett@geeksquad.com or 864-634-7110 or Laura Corbin with Team Spartanburg at teamspartanburg@gmail.com or 864-597-4180.