Orchard Park, N.Y. – The Buffalo Bills announced Friday that Reliant Energy will be the presenting sponsor of the "2008 Taste of the Season Event – Buffalo Bills Style." The event kicks off the Bills' season for the community and raises awareness and support for the Food Bank of Western New York. The "Taste of the Season" is slated for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 26 in the Jim Kelly Club at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The event brings together corporate sponsors, local restaurants, chefs and the entire roster of Buffalo Bills players and coaches. As part of the evening, guests visit different food stations and vote for their favorite restaurant or caterer. By registering to vote, guests will be given the chance to win one of the following:
Grand Prize -A suite for 12 guests fully catered, courtesy of Reliant Energy when the Bills take on Cleveland Monday, November 17, 2008
Second Prize – Autographed apron by Buffalo Bills players
Also included will be a presentation by Dick Jauron, Bills head coach and Russ Brandon, Bills chief operating officer.
Tickets cost $100 each and may be purchased in advance by calling Niagara Partnership Investor Relations Manager Megan Burns-Moran at (716) 852-7100 ext. 503 or via email at mbmoran@thepartnership.org. Online registration will be open through August 25. Included in the ticket price is an exclusive leather portfolio with the Bills logo stamped on the outside. The portfolio will contain energy saving tips which guests can pick up at the Reliant booth during the event.
"We are very excited to be part of this great event for the fans and for an important local charity. As a company, our business focus is on delivering the benefits of competitive electricity markets and being a good community citizen. One of the ways that we do that is by giving something back or teaming with strong local partners like the Bills to assist non-profit organizations in the communities where we do business," said David Roylance, senior vice president, Reliant Energy. "Since entering the New York market in early 2008, we have experienced a warm reception for both the company and for our competitive products and services. Reliant is proud to partner with the Bills for the Taste of the Season as part of our commitment to serving businesses throughout Western New York."
"We are honored to have a strong partner like Reliant joining with us to bring this important event to Western New York," stated Pete Guelli, Buffalo Bills senior vice president of business ventures. "Reliant's commitment to community involvement fits well with our philosophy of giving back to this community. In addition, we are working together through this agreement that includes both branding and opportunities for outreach in the community."
Reliant Energy, Inc. (NYSE:RRI) based in Houston, provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. The company provides service to approximately 1.8 million retail electricity customers primarily in Texas, including residential and small business customers. Reliant also serves commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.
The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the nation with more than 15,000 megawatts of power generation capacity across the United States. These strategically located generating assets use natural gas, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit http://www.reliant.com.
Founded in 1959, the Buffalo Bills are one of the most storied franchises in the National Football League (NFL). The Bills have won two American Football League (AFL) Championships (1964 - 1965) and won an NFL record four straight AFC Championships (1990 - 1993) that included four trips to the Super Bowl. The Bills are a progressive organization and pride themselves on the regionalization of their team. They hold their training camp in Rochester, NY and will be the first NFL team ever to play a home game in Canada with the Bills Toronto Series that begins this season. As Western New York's top-rated sports and entertainment choice, the Bills annually entertain nearly one million fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium, produce the region's number-one rated sports television programming, have one of the NFL's largest fan clubs with the Bills Backers, and host the most visited team website in Western New York. For more Bills information visit buffalobills.com or call (716) 648-1800.
