For Immediate Release

 Trip for Two Includes Tickets to Watch Cricket World Cup Champions,

Australia, vs. West Indies

All Proceeds to Benefit the Dylan Hartung Cancer Fund

Basseterre, St. Kitts (June 4, 2008) – In a move to showcase St. Kitts and its sports tourism assets, the island is partnering with Eight Mile Creek, a popular Australian-themed restaurant and bar in Manhattan, to send two lucky New York residents on a 5-day/4-night trip to see the Aussies take on the West Indies at Warner Park, St Kitts.

Eight Mile Creek, the “Home of Australian Cricket in New York,” will be raffling a trip to St. Kitts from July 3-7, 2008, with all proceeds going to the Dylan Hartung Cancer Fund. Included in the prize is round trip air transportation from New York on American Airlines, all-inclusive accommodations at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel & Casino and admission to the One Day International (ODI) cricket matches in which the World Cup Champions Australia will be playing against the West Indies team.

St. Kitts will host two ODI Cricket Matches between reigning International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup Champions Australia, and the West Indies on July 4th and 6th, 2008.  These two exciting events in St Kitts will be a fitting climax to what is expected to be another entertaining Australian cricket tour of the Caribbean. The West Indies will be looking to build on the momentum gained in their recent 2 Nil ODI home victory over Sri Lanka.  

“This New York -based cricket tourism promotion and raffle is an excellent way to build awareness for St. Kitts as an ideal summer vacation and world-class cricket destination while helping to make a difference in the life of a child,” commented Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports & Culture. “Having partnered with Eight Mile Creek for a similar promotion last year, we are confident that their efforts will help us fulfill the goals of this worthy endeavor.”

All of the proceeds from the trip raffle will be donated to the Fund for 9 year-old Dylan Hartung, who has been suffering with Neuroblastoma cancer since he was 5 years old. After 6 months of treatment in Australia, Dylan was given 12 months to live with no more treatment options.  Dylan and his family traveled from Australia to New York for his cancer treatment in 2005, but his family members are entirely dependent on charity as they have since lived at Ronald McDonald House with Dylan and do not have US work visas.

The raffle kicks off today, June 4, 2008. Only 1,000 raffle tickets will be available and will be sold for $5.00 each. Raffle tickets can be purchased at Eight Mile Creek and other participating establishments from today up until the raffle drawing at Eight Mile Creek at 8:00pm on June 30, 2008.  The winner does not have to be present at the drawing to claim the trip prize and will be notified on the same day.  Additional rules and restrictions apply.

Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, St. Kitts offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history.  The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s sugar plantations, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and the more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at one of St. Kitts’ two casinos or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches.  Guests can select from accommodations ranging from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels or resorts. 

For more information about St. Kitts, please contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority toll free from the US at 1-800-582-6208 or from Canada 1-888-395-4887, e-mail(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or visit the website at www.stkittstourism.kn.

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