Primary Sponsor:   

                                                  MidFirst Credit Union

                                                                                   Platinum Sponsors:                  City of Middletown/Convention & Visitors Bureau

                                                                                                                                        Middletown Community Foundation

                                                                                                                                         Middletown Journal-Official Information Source                                                                                                                                                        www.selection.com

                                                                                   Gold Sponsors:                          Bank One/Barnitz Fund

          MIDDLETOWN, OHIO                                                                      910 WPFB/The Rebel 105.9-Official Radio Station

                                                                                   Silver sponsors:                        Dillman Foods

                                                                                                                                        Pepsi Cola of Hamilton

NEWS RELEASE                                                                                             The Manchester Inn & Conference Center

                                                                                   Bronze Sponsors:                     AK Steel

                                                                                                                                        Cohen Brothers, Inc.

                                                                                                                                        Dickerson Distributing/Budweiser

More information:                                                                                                  Middletown Regional Hospital

Ann Mort, Publicity                                                                                                   Nurses Care, Inc.

513-424-2038/ 513-259-3796                                                                                 Time Warner Cable

RMort@cinci.rr.com                                                                                                 US Bank                     

                                                                                   Specialty Balloon Sponsors:         Butler Tech

www.OhioChallenge.com                                                                                  MidFirst Credit Union

                                                                                   Hosted by:                                  The Chamber of Commerce –

                                                                                                                                        serving Middletown, Monroe & Trenton

                                                                                                                                        1500 Central Avenue, Middletown, OH 45044

June 10, 2005  - For immediate release

FOOD AND CRAFT VENDOR SLOTS ALL FILLED FOR OHIO CHALLENGE HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

Already the 25 food and 25 arts and craft vendor spaces are filled for the Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival set for July 22-23-24 at Smith Park in downtown Middletown. 

Volunteer chairpeople representing several Chamber member businesses organize the individual parts of Ohio Challenge each year.

Chair Lisa Pearce of Cincinnati Financial will once again present a carefully selected array of hand-made items by crafters from several Midwestern states. The offerings range from picture frames and embroidered clothing to calligraphy, jewelry and balloon items.

Food chair Beth Knueppel of AK Steel Company has been arranging a wide variety of food for the 70,000 guests expected for the three day event.  Offerings will include the various festival foods, Pepsi products and beer.  Guests may choose from vendors such as Food For The Soul, LaRosa’s Pizza, Chick-fil-A, Hawaiian Shaved Ice, Blackjack Grill and others.

An unusual arrangement with food vendors at Ohio Challenge allows several local non-profit organizations to add to their treasuries. Each food vendor must be a non-profit organization or partner with a non-profit and donate at least 10% of their profits to that organization. Each vendor will have a sign listing their non-profit partner. Last year, nearly $30,000 was raised for local non-profit groups.

The Ohio Challenge, with primary sponsor Mid-First Credit Union, is hosted by the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton. 

For more information, call 513-259-3796 or visit www.ohiochallenge.com

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