MOLINE, Ill. (January 11, 2014) - The largest crowd to attend to a Quad City Mallards home game this season- 5,834 - thronged to the iWireless Center tonight to see the Mallards suffer a hard fought 1-0 loss at the hands of  the Arizona Sundogs.

The Mallards this evening surpassed the previous attendance high for this season set when 5,325 fans came out to the Flock's season opener against the Rapid City Rush on October 19. 

Tonight saw the first 1,000 fans ages 12 and under through the doors of the iWireless Center receive free Mallards youth replica jerseys courtesy of Scott County Family Y and the Two Rivers YMCA.  A live auction of the special edition affiliate jerseys worn by the Mallards tonight to benefit Genesis Health Services Foundation's Flu-Free QC program follows this evening's contest.

The Mallards drew a total of 9,544 fans over the last two nights to their first two-game home weekend of 2014.  3,710 were on hand last night for the Mallards' 3-2 shootout loss to the Wichita Thunder.

STREAKING ENGELAGE, SUNDOGS BLANK MALLARDS 1-0

MOLINE, Ill. (January 11, 2014) - Andrew Engelage made 27 saves on the way to posting his third consecutive shutout and extending his shutout streak to 206 minutes and 25 seconds and Ian Schultz scored a third period power play goal as the Arizona Sundogs blanked the host Quad City Mallards 1-0 Saturday night.

The win was the Sundogs' (14-18-1, 29 points) fourth in row, while the narrow defeat left the Mallards (16-8-7, 39 points) without a victory in their last three games (0-1-2).

Schultz broke the scoreless deadlock by tipping in Garret Clarke's shot with 6:41 left in the third.  The Mallards were unable to beat Engelage even after pulling goaltender Ty Rimmer (27 saves) for an extra with just over a minute remaining.

The Mallards return to action next Friday against the Thunder in Wichita.  The Mallards next play at home on Friday, January 31 at 7:05 p.m. against the Tulsa Oilers.  January 31 is another $1 Dog/$1 Beer Night presented by 97X.  $1 hot dogs and beers will be available at iWireless Center concession stands during each of the Mallards' 11 Friday night home games this season.

Tickets for the January 31 game and all Mallards regular season home games can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.

The Mallards return to action next Friday against the Thunder in Wichita.  The Mallards next play at home on Friday, January 31 at 7:05 p.m. against the Tulsa Oilers.  January 31 is another $1 Dog/$1 Beer Night presented by 97X.  $1 hot dogs and beers will be available at iWireless Center concession stands during each of the Mallards' 11 Friday night home games this season.

Tickets for the January 31 game and all Mallards regular season home games can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.

Home Free, the vocal band that won "The Sing-Off" a capella group competition on NBC TV last month, has added a second show for its Valentine's Day performance at the Central Performing Arts Center (CPAC) in DeWitt.

The CPAC board has been successful in booking Home Free for a second show, which will be presented at 3 p.m. in the auditorium at Central Community High School.

Tickets went on sale at DeWitt City Hall and <www.midwestix.com> Friday, Jan. 10. They are $23 for adults and $5 for students. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door for $25, adults, and $5, students.

A limited number of tickets for Valentine's Day dinner is available for $12.50 per person. The meal, featuring cheesy ravioli, chicken Alfredo, salad, bread sticks, red velvet cake and chocolate covered strawberries, tea and coffee, will be served in the atrium at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the Feb. 14, 7:30 performance sold out before Christmas as the five-man vocal group, which sings without instrumental accompaniment, using only their voices and microphones, moved steadily through the competition toward the show's finale Dec. 23.

"Although it is a good thing for CPAC performances to sell out, we know a lot of people were disappointed the tickets went so fast," said Vanessa McNeely, CPAC events coordinator.

"We hope the additional show will help accommodate many of the center's regular attendees."

The award-winning "Home Free" is a distinctive combination of comedy and music featuring five male vocalists with extensive theatrical and musical training. They made their mark as "The Sing-Off's" first country music competitor, winning a Sony Music recording contract and $100,000. They will begin a national 35-city tour with other "Sing-Off" contestants shortly after the DeWitt appearance.

January 12, 2010 was a day unlike Haiti had ever seen. When a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, generous donors responded immediately to provide lifesaving emergency relief to millions of Haitians and to begin the long and difficult process of rebuilding.

Today, four years later, we reflect on the road to recovery which has been made possible by the incredibly resilient spirit of the Haitian people and the commitment of volunteers and supporters like you.

Here are some of the ways donations given in response to the Haiti earthquake have been put to work:

• 665,000 people benefited from community health services
• 108,900 people reached through housing/neighborhood recovery
• 3.2 million people benefited from cholera prevention and outbreak response services

The work continues, and I wanted to make sure you have the latest update.

To learn more about the progress in Haiti over the past four years, please read our new report.

Thanks to generous donations, more than 4.4 million Haitians have received assistance from the American Red Cross since the earthquake.

Virtually all of the $486 million donated to the American Red Cross following the earthquake has been spent, committed or allocated to help meet the needs of people affected and to build their capacity to respond to future disasters.

It hasn't been easy and with your support, we are still on the ground in Haiti. We are continuing to work alongside the Haitian government, the Haitian Red Cross, local authorities, community members, and local and international partners to create safer and more resilient communities in Haiti, as well as address risks to health and well-being in a holistic way.

None of this would be possible without the support of the Red Cross community. You have our deepest gratitude for the recovery efforts you've made possible.

Sincerely,
David Meltzer
Chief International Officer
American Red Cross

Hosts Meet and Greet events in Boone, Algona, Garner, and Forest City

DES MOINES, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley took his campaign for US Senate in 2014 to four North Iowa communities today to host informal "Meet and Greet" events with local residents. The events in Boone, Algona, Garner, and Forest City marks his first campaign events in these communities since announcing his candidacy for Senate.

Braley said, "Today in Iowa, the middle class struggles with rising costs and shrinking opportunities. Politicians in Washington ignore the real problems and often make things worse. I'm running for Senate to fight for the things that matter most to Iowans.

"I grew up in Brooklyn, Iowa, and I've never forgotten where I come from. My parents taught me the value of hard work, and I worked hard in jobs like road construction to help put myself through college. In the Senate, I'll work for Iowa to create jobs, help small businesses succeed, and protect Social Security and Medicare. I'll fight for middle class Iowans, because that's where I come from."

Braley is continuing to travel the state to discuss his background and his campaign to create jobs, help small businesses succeed, and strengthen the middle class. 

Bruce Braley was born in Grinnell and grew up in nearby Brooklyn, Iowa. His father, a Marine who fought on Iwo Jima in World War II, and his mother, a teacher, taught him the value of hard work. Braley worked jobs like road construction and truck driving to help pay his way through college and law school. As an attorney in Waterloo, Braley represented Iowans who took on powerful interests and big corporations. Elected to the US House in 2006, Braley has worked to create Iowa jobs, protect farms, strengthen small businesses, and stand up for veterans. Bruce Braley is running for Senate to fight for the things that matter most to Iowans. He'll fight for middle class families, because that's where he comes from.

Braley lives in Waterloo with his wife, Carolyn. They have three children: Lisa, David, and Paul.