It's Not Too Late to Join Us This Friday

Tutu Fabulous!

A beer, spirits & wine tasting fundraiser for Ballet Quad Cities

March 8, 2013 at 6:00pm

$40 per person in advance ($45 at the door)

Hotel Blackhawk Gold Room

200 E. 3^rd Street  Davenport, Iowa

Ballet Quad Cities is hosting Tutu Fabulous to raise funds and awareness of our health & wellness programs, including our in-school bullying prevention initiative that benefits Quad City area kids. Tutu Fabulous includes a variety of beers, spirits & wines for tasting, a mashed potato bar and award winning cheese spread donated by Swiss Valley Farms plus a FABULOUS silent auction & an up close and personal jazz performance by our BQC professional dancers of "Black Coffee" choreographed by Margaret Huling.

www.balletquadcities.com 309.786.3779

Sponsored by:

Hotel Blackhawk; The Gold Book, Carol Ann Watkins, Swiss Valley Farms & Reynolds Motor Co.

Fabulous silent auctions include :

• $850 value Orlando package which includes a $250 airfare credit on Allegiant Airlines plus FREE airport parking and a bag full of goodies - Generously donated by the Quad City International Airport PLUS 4 - one day Park Hopper passes - Generously donated by Walt Disney World
• $100 value Ballet Package - includes 4 tickets to see Ballet Quad Cities' performance of Cinderella, PLUS a backstage pass to meet the professional dancers on April 20, 2013 and an autographed Cinderella pointe shoe, from Ballet Quad Cities
• Valued at $1,400: Four (4) Any day passes to the 2013 John Deere Classic; Four (4) tickets into the UnitedHealthcare Community Day Skybox (good on Thursday July 11) includes unlimited food & beverage; 2012 Framed Pin Flag signed by Champion, Zach Johnson; AND meet the      Pro/autograph opportunity                    Donated by the John Deere Classic
• Marie-Grace doll, donated by American Girl
• $220 value St. Louis Package includes: Two (2) Reserved Seats for a Monday-Thursday St. Louis Cardinals home game during the 2013 season. - EXCLUSIONS APPLY - Donated by the St. Louis Cardinals; 2 tickets for a "Journey to the Top" of the Gateway Arch plus 2 tickets for a one-hour sightseeing cruise aboard the Gateway Arch Riverboat, donated by the Gateway Arch and Gateway Arch Riverboats at the Core of Discovery; and an Overnight with breakfast for two at the Holiday Inn Route 66 (11 miles from Busch Stadium), donated by Innkeeper Hospitality Services
• $50 Gift Card donated by 5ive Star Salon Spa, Davenport
• "Posey Fairy" sculpture donated by Isabel Bloom
• One hour massage PLUS one hour facial donated by Massage Envy
• Two hour bowling and pizza party package donated by Miller Time Bowl
• $50 Gift Card to Johnny's Italian Steakhouse
• Basket with wine, wine glasses, chocolate and two tickets for Rock of Ages at the Adler on April 24^th
  donated by the RiverCenter / Adler Theatre
• AND MUCH MORE - Too many to list here!!!!!!

CASH, CHECKS and CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED!

Alliant Energy Sends a Positive Message to Students and Families

Minneapolis, MN (March 4, 2013) - Elementary school students will enjoy a fun and educational live theatre performance that teaches them and their parents how to be more energy efficient. The National Theatre for Children (NTC)will perform for students in Fairfield, Dewitt and Cedar Rapids on March 11^th and 12^th.  The performances are sponsored by Alliant Energy.

The Energized Guyz is a multiplatform energy efficiency program featuring live, professional actors, classroom curriculum and homework assignments.  Parents and teachers also benefit from these dynamic theatrical shows because the performances get their students focused on good energy efficiency habits such as turning off the lights when leaving a room, using CFL light bulbs and unplugging rechargers when not in use.  The program focuses on the following educational concepts:

• How electricity and energy are made
• Uses of energy
• Ways energy is wasted
• How to conserve energy

Students Test Higher When Linking Natural Resources and Electricity

Studies have shown that linking the need for energy resources to the ways electricity is wasted may help children understand the need for behavior changes, according to Ryan Bliss, project director at RIA, an Oregon-based behavior research firm with expertise in energy-related projects and energy audits. Based on a research study conducted with 30,000 students involved in a similar NTC educational program, "The increased test scores among students who received the NTC curriculum are highly suggestive that in-school energy education helps children learn concepts that can influence behaviors," Bliss says. "Quality education is crucial to understanding the need to change behavior, and we are seeing increased test scores across all ages, all grades and in both urban and rural schools."

Dynamic Teaching Platform

"Live theater is a dynamic teaching platform, especially when combined with curriculum activities, in-class discussion and homework assignments that engage parents," affirms Ward Eames, president of NTC, an organization that has been bringing energy, environmental and social programs to U.S. schools for over 35 years.   Bliss agrees.  "Even young students can understand that they have energy choices.  And the younger they begin learning, the more likely students will retain these concepts throughout their life.

The Energized Guyz features two professional actors who play a variety of characters like the super hero "Nikki Neutron," his boss "U.R. Fired," fellow superhero friend "Thunderstorm," "Bert the Dirt Expert" and the devious villain "The Sneaker." The performance is action packed with high energy comedy and audience interaction.  Students cheer on and learn from the program's hero, Nikki Neutron, who needs to stop The Sneaker from wasting all the energy in town.  The show comes complete with professionally designed sets, props and costumes.

About Alliant Energy

Alliant Energy provides electric service to 525,000 customers and natural gas service to 233,000 customers in more than 700 communities throughout Iowa and southern Minnesota  Alliant Energy is committed to providing the energy and exceptional service its customers and communities expect - safely, reliably, and affordably. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com or call 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268).

About The National Theatre for Children

NTC is the largest touring educational theatre company in the world. Since 1978, NTC has successfully tackled one important issue after another including: financial literacy, electrical safety, water conservation, health care, smoking prevention, recycling, wise energy use, renewable energy, nutrition, and bullying prevention, (to name a few). Our educational outreach programs are entirely underwritten by corporate, non-profit and governmental sponsors who want to be associated with delivering healthy-living messages to students and their families. NTC performs approximately 7,000 times a year throughout the country, actively engaging 2.8 million students and parents through its programming. www.nationaltheatre.com

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today released a letter, co-signed by a bipartisan group of 33 governors, calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to keep wrestling an Olympic sport. After asking Iowa's congressional delegation to co-sign a letter to the Olympic committee, Branstad began focusing on bringing together governors in an effort to keep the great sport in the Olympics.

The letter, sent to International Olympic Committee Executive Board President Dr. Jacques Rogge, urges the committee to reconsider their recent decision to remove wrestling as an Olympic sport, effective in 2020.

"The Olympic Games are meant to provide a venue for people from all nations to overcome differences and forge lasting relationships and wrestling has contributed to these Olympic attributes," the governors write.  "We believe that renewing or renovating the Olympics should respect key Olympic traditions. We would also encourage a transparent voting system for future votes on which sports should be included as part of the Olympic Games. As public servants, we hold transparency as a sacred principle and we would encourage the IOC to abide by that same principle."

The following is the full text of the letter, including the bipartisan list of governors who joined Gov. Branstad in signing on to the letter:

March 5, 2013

Dr. Jacques Rogge

President, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board

Château de Vidy

Case Postale 356 1001

Lausanne Switzerland

Dear President Rogge:

As governors of states with rich wrestling traditions, we write to express our concerns regarding the recent decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove wrestling as an Olympic sport in the 2020 Olympic Games. We strongly urge the IOC to reconsider its position and vote to extend wrestling's long legacy within the Olympic Games.

Wrestling was a key sport in ancient civilization and its inclusion in the Olympics has continued to enrich the ongoing Olympic tradition. Early Olympic organizers recognized wrestling's unique and global importance by including the sport in the 1896 Olympic Games held in Athens. Wrestling has been a key part of the Olympic movement ever since.

The same spirit of competition that drove ancient wrestlers has transcended generations, and our states are the beneficiaries of this spirit. Wrestling accelerates character building. At its core, wrestling is an instinct and embodies the human qualities of hard work, discipline, and perseverance. Dan Gable, an Olympic gold medalist and former US Olympic wrestling coach, succinctly summarized wrestling's character building characteristics when he stated, "Once you've wrestled, everything else in life is easy."

Wrestling's positive impact goes beyond our states and the United States of America. Forms of wrestling have been important parts of cultures worldwide, including China, Ukraine, Japan, Russia, Turkey, and many other countries. Soviet and Russian wrestlers have won 77 gold medals at past Olympic Games. Moreover, wrestling federations exist in approximately 180 countries and the recent London Olympic Games had wrestlers from over 70 countries.

The Olympic Games are meant to provide a venue for people from all nations to overcome differences and forge lasting relationships and wrestling has contributed to these Olympic attributes. We believe that renewing or renovating the Olympics should respect key Olympic traditions. We would also encourage a transparent voting system for future votes on which sports should be included as part of the Olympic Games. As public servants, we hold transparency as a sacred principle and we would encourage the IOC to abide by that same principle.

We encourage your prompt reconsideration of your decision regarding wrestling. We hope that wrestling will continue to be an important part of the Olympic tradition.

Sincerely,

Matt Mead, Governor of Wyoming

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