Comcast Announces Sponsorship of 'Tall Ships(R) Tacoma 2005'

Comcast Announces Sponsorship of 'Tall Ships(R) Tacoma 2005'

Tacoma Expects to Host 400,000 People Along Five Miles of Waterfront June 30 - July 5

TACOMA, Wash., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast, the country's leading cable and broadband communications provider, today announced it will be a major sponsor of Tall Ships(R) Tacoma 2005.

"Comcast is pleased to support an event that will not only celebrate the birth of our nation in a very special way, but also the rebirth of the Tacoma waterfront. This is a unique and historic opportunity to build community as we gather together at the waterfront -- not only with our neighbors, but also with people from around the world," said Anne McMullen, Comcast's area vice president.

"Having Comcast as a major sponsor of the Tall Ships Tacoma festival gives us the ability to extend an invitation to millions of potential visitors and will offer value to every other major sponsor who steps forward. Comcast has clearly demonstrated a commitment to the City of Tacoma and the households they serve. Their generous support will help us spread our mutual enthusiasm for the weeklong extravaganza," said Doug Miller, executive producer/director of the Tacoma Events Commission, presenting the Tall Ships(R) Tacoma 2005 Festival and the annual 4th of July Freedom Fair and Air Show.

The Tall Ships Tacoma Festival ( http://www.tallshipstacoma.com/ ) will bring world-famous sailing ships to the historic waterfront from June 30 to July 5, 2005. More than 400,000 visitors are expected. Daily activities will include ship viewing and tours, entertainment stages, museum exhibits, maritime film screenings, gala events, sailing skill demonstrations, sailing adventures, cannon battles, fireworks and much more!

Tacoma has invited sailing ships from all over the world, including Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Russia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as the United States.

It's been more than a century since anyone saw a fleet of 20 wind-powered vessels on Commencement Bay. The event will involve more than five miles of Tacoma's beautiful waterfront when it gets under way at 1 p.m. on June 30th with a grand Parade of Sail running from Point Defiance Park, along the Ruston Way waterfront and Schuster Parkway to welcoming ceremonies at Thea's Park. Over the next four days, the ships will be available for ticketed viewing at their berths and festival activities will welcome visitors along the length of Thea Foss Waterway. The grand finale will be Tacoma's annual 4th of July Freedom Fair and Air Show that concludes with a spectacular fireworks display over Commencement Bay. Participating ships will add to the excitement, and noise, when they demonstrate classic cannon battle techniques. Early ticket holders may be able to join the crew on this sailing adventure and others will be able to experience the fireworks from the deck of a magnificent sailing vessel. The last chance to see the ships will be the morning of July 5th when they sail off to the horizon.

"Our employees have been watching the waterfront area evolve and improve for years. We're very pleased that Tall Ships(R) Tacoma 2005 will allow the city to show off the 'new' waterfront in a spectacular way to hundreds of thousands of visitors," McMullen said. "We were very impressed with the marketing campaign that the Tacoma Events Commission and its partners plan not only locally, but also regionally. The members of the Commission are clearly thinking ahead and planning to not only bring in visitors, but make their experience a good one."

About Comcast ( http://www.comcast.com/ )

Comcast Corporation is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the provision of programming content. The Company is the largest provider of cable and broadband services in the United States, serving more than 21 million cable television subscribers and more than 6.5 million high-speed Internet customers. The Company's content businesses include Comcast SportsNet, Comcast-Spectacor, E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, G4techTV, The Golf Channel, International Channel Networks and Outdoor Life Network. Comcast, whose regional offices are located in Bothell, WA, serves more than 1 million customers and employs more than 2,600 people in Washington State.

Media Contacts
Walter Neary Doug Miller
Comcast Tacoma Events Commission
253-864-4660 253-682-1446
walter_neary@cable.comcast.comDoug@TacomaEvents.com


Source: Comcast Corporation

CONTACT: Walter Neary of Comcast, +1-253-864-4660, or
walter_neary@cable.comcast.com; or Doug Miller of Tacoma Events Commission,
+1-253-682-1446, or Doug@TacomaEvents.com

Web site: http://www.tallshipstacoma.com/

Web site: http://www.comcast.com/


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