Sports Sponsorships

SAN ANTONIO, Texas --As fall approaches, ushering in a major selling season for supermarkets, The Gambrinus Company here is kicking off "Touchdown Tiki 2005" to support Corona Extra and Corona Light, which it claims are the number one and number three import beers respectively. The promotion will run Aug. 15 -- Oct. 31.

FISHERS, N.Y. -- The New York Apple Association in September will roll out a crisp consumer advertising and public relations campaign to promote the 2005 crop.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Pear Bureau Northwest will sponsor local U.S. National Ski Team athlete Torin Koos during the 2005/2006 season. Koos, a native resident of Leavenworth, Wash., will compete at the 2006 winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. As part of the sponsorship, Koos will make appearances at schools and other events as a spokesperson for USA Pears.

WASHINGTON -- In a true "dog-eat-dog" contest, New York City and Chicago ran neck and neck for the title of "City Offering the Best Hot Dogs," according to new poll data from the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (NHDSC).

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Over the course of the next few months, Hy-Vee, Inc. will change the name of its 26-store Drug Town subsidiary to Hy-Vee Drugstores, a move that company officials say will better reflects the relationship between the retailer's two formats.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In conjunction with its sponsorship of NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte, ConAgra Foods launched a new racing Web site, www.conagrafoodsracing.com.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --Bobby Labonte, the only driver to win NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series titles, will compete, courtesy of ConAgra Foods, Inc., in eight Busch Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005.

CHICAGO -- According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the equivalent of almost 25 franks to every man, woman, and child.