THUNDER PREVIEW TO BE HELD AT BOWMAN FIELD
2008-03-05T14:53:14
The 2008 "Thunder Preview" event - which is part of the McDonald's Thunder Funder initiative - will be held Thursday, March 20, at the Central American Airways Flying Service hangar at Bowman Field. This is the second year for the event, which will be a special preview of Thunder Day activities and will help the public "gear up" for the 2008 Derby Festival.
The hangar will be open to the public from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature a static display of aircraft, McDonald's Playland Kidzone with activities, inflatable slides and bounces, as well as the sale of 2008 Official Kentucky Derby Festival merchandise. Military and civilians pilots will be on hand to meet the public, along with Thunder Over Louisville crew including producer Wayne Hettinger. Food concessions and a cash bar will be available; admission is a 2008 Pegasus Pin or McDonald's Thunder Funder Cup (available at area McDonald's Restaurants).
The 2008 McDonald's Thunder Funder campaign kicked off on Feb. 5 with the participation of 94 area McDonald's restaurants. The restaurants will donate 10 cents from the sale of every large drink in a commemorative cup to help support Thunder. Drinks may be purchased separately or as part of a Thunder Funder meal (Double Filet O' Fish sandwich, French fries and large drink).
The 2007 McDonald's Thunder Funder Program raised more than $215,000 to help support Thunder - $71,000 from restaurant sales purchases and more than $143,000 through the purchase of viewing packages, small business contributions and individual incentive packages. Viewing packages, small business packages and individual incentive packages are available again this year. More information is available online at www.mcdonaldsthunderfunder.org.
Thunder Over Louisville - the Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies - is one of the more than 70 events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. The 2008 Thunder Over Louisville, themed "Out Of This World," is set for Saturday, April 12 and will be the will be the 19th annual production. The show is sponsored by Caesars Indiana, E.ON U.S., Meijer and UPS.
The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people in a two-week period and has a local economic impact of more than $93 million. Thunder alone contributes $31 million of that estimate to both sides of the Ohio River.
