On April 8 2006, an annual corporate and celebrity ski event is being organised for a second year in Bansko by John Hazlewood, CEO of Balkanwood Real Estate and Media and Event Productions and TravelStoreMaker.com, and Phillip Roth, CEO of Bulgarian Unified Film Organisation (BUFO) and Hollywood Tan and Hair. The event will support the efforts of Face to Face Bulgaria and the funds gathered from the ski race this year will go specifically to the First Chance Project. This event also aims to create awareness about Bulgaria’s bid to host the 2014 winter Olympics by encouraging the community to join the initiative and back the bid. Face to Face is an organisation focusing on the prevention of human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The funds raised in this charitable event will benefit Bulgarian orphans. In order to protect these children and give them a chance for a decent life, Face to Face started First Chance - a project which gives life skills and knowledge to children in order to make them more competitive on the labour market and self-reliant in their future lives.

Alongside leading Bulgarian companies, many celebrity, media, and model teams will participate in the ski race. Through their participation in this charitable race, the companies will gain institutional advertising, will make a difference by partnering for a great cause, and will have an excellent opportunity for team-building and networking. The companies may choose to sponsor their own team, allowing employees, partners and customers to be on it. The participation fee is 500 leva a team, as the dinner cost is 45 leva a person and the ski passes cost 32 leva a person. Another option to participate in the event is to sponsor one of the celebrity or model teams. The sponsored team will take the company’s name, thus giving the opportunity to advertise its business.

An awards ceremony and a celebration dinner will take place at Happy End next to the Kempinski and the gondola. In addition to participation, the organisers would also accept in-kind sponsorships. The donation would be given to the winners or provided as an auction item during an auction at the awards ceremony. The sponsors would receive mentions during the announcement of their prize and be listed on flyers handed out during the event.

First place prizes include participation in a BUFO Hollywood feature film, a weekend getaway at the Kempinski Grand Arena Hotel Bansko and tickets to see Sting live in concert in Nessebar on June 12. Each team will comprise five racers of any age or skiing ability. There will be two classes of skiers, divided by age group for both men and women, as follows: level one: 15- 39 years of age; level two: 40 years and over. For individuals in each of these classes, the winners will be based on 1st, 2nd and 3rd fastest time for both women and men within the above-mentioned age groups. Awards provided for fastest male skier 15- 39 years old, fastest male skier 40 and over, fastest female skier 15-39 years old, fastest female skier 40 and over, and fastest snow boarder.

The Sofia Echo, Bulgarian National Television, bTV, Nova TV, and MM are among the media partners of the event. In addition, the organisers can assist with accommodation discounts and an appropriate choice of hotels and skiing equipment in Bansko. Hotel costs range from 35 to 120 leva a person a night, based on hotel category. If you have any questions or you need additional information, please contact Giorgio Kostov, e-mail: giorgio.kostov@balkanwood.bg, phone:  (02) 933 38 57, mobile 0885 245 745.

The organisers:
Balkanwood Real Estate and Media Productions:Balkanwood focuses on real estate developments and property management. The company is also involved in media productions and events management and provides production-based tools and services for advertising, corporate, and entertainment purposes. For more information, please visit: www.balkanwood.bg

Face To Face Bulgaria: The mission of Face to Face Bulgaria is to fight against, prevent and reduce the cases of child and forced prostitution in Bulgaria and outside its borders via developing numerous projects and programmes.  For more information, please visit: www.facetoface.bg

TravelStoreMaker.com: TravelStoreMaker.com is a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Technology Solutions Provider primarily focused in the travel sector with its core product being an Internet Booking Engine which is currently translated into 17 languages. TravelStoreMaker.com currently employs more than 120 people in Sofia who, combined, speak 20 languages. TravelStoreMaker.com provides 24/7 travel agency services to Bulgarian corporate and leisure travellers. In addition, the company has launched DestinationBulgaria.bg (www.destinationbulgaria.bg) and provides discount hotel rates in Bulgaria as well as providing Bulgarian hotels with reservation technology. For more information, please visit: www.travelstoremaker.com

BUFO: Feature Film, Commercial and Television Producers that also provide production service, rentals, animation and digital special effects to film and television productions in Bulgaria and throughout the world. BUFO has produced over 30 feature and television movies in Bulgaria for companies such as Universal, Sony Pictures, Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Columbia Tristar since August 2000. For more information, please visit: www.ufofilm.com and www.ufoips.com

Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko: Situated at the foot of Pirin mountain, the Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena in Bansko welcomes you to its brand new Alpine All-Season & Spa Resort, whether you come for winter skiing or for summer mountaineering, biking, trekking or paragliding. For more information, please visit:
www.kempinski-bansko.com