Don’t Miss Group Three Ruben Studdard, Bo Bice, Vonzell Solomon, Katie Stevens and RJ Helton!!!

Branson Country USA with Special Guest Zach Parrish, as Tim McGraw of Legends in Concert – July 20, 2012

Recorded LIVE on Friday night at 10:30 PM
This show is broadcast on radio stations around the country.
Airing Saturday nights at 7:00 PM on KRZK – 106.3 in Branson, MO.
And Sunday nights at 9:00 PM. on KHOZ – 102.9 in Harrison, AR.

You can also listen via the internet. www.bransoncountryusa.net
Show airs at 7:00 PM (cst.) – Every Saturday Night

Grand Country Music Hall
1945 W. 76 Country Blvd.
Branson, MO 65616
417-335-2484 – Reservations
417-336-5829 – Fax

Branson, MO (July 18, 2012) – The Comfort Inn At Thousand Hills has been selected by The Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills hotel of Branson, Mo. is known for its resort-like atmosphere and golf-course views. But these days, the hotel staff has more to brag about – being named urban Comfort Inn Hotel of the Year by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), franchisor of the Comfort Inn brand. The coveted award was announced during the company’s 58th annual convention in Las Vegas.

“Being selected as the best of the best franchise in the Comfort Inn brand shows that the Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills hotel is an exceptional performer,” said Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president, brand strategy and marketing, Choice Hotels. “When it comes to operational excellence and guest satisfaction, this hotel stands out among its peers as the best – which is quite an accomplishment. The Myer family, who franchise three Choice-brand hotels, is known for winning top recognition for their hotels. We are proud to count them among the Choice family, and applaud their sustained commitment to their guests and the hospitality industry.”

Hotel of the Year winners all rank near the top of hotels within their brand and represent the properties most committed to customer satisfaction. The Choice Hotels Owners Council presents the awards to properties that best demonstrate lodging excellence by offering services and guest experiences that set the standards for the entire industry.

The Myer family has been in the lodging business for 45 years and has actively contributed to Branson’s hospitality market for more than 28 years. The company’s Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills hotel not only was named the 2012 Hotel of the Year, but it was a finalist for the award the last two years running. The property joins two other award-winning Myer Hotels properties in Branson, including the Comfort Inn & Suites Branson Meadows hotel and the Comfort Inn West hotel. All three Myer properties were selected as finalists for the Choice Hotels 2012 Hotel of the Year, and two of these properties were recognized as finalists for 2011 and 2010, with the Comfort Inn & Suites hotel winning the prestigious Hotel of the Year title in 2011 and 2009.

Myer Hotels is no stranger to having top-ranked hotels. Collectively, the company has received numerous national hospitality awards. “To have three properties in the top three is incredible!” said Chris Myer, Vice President of Marketing. “Our team works very hard and we are committed to continuing to provide our guests with the hospitable service they deserve.”

Gail Myer, Vice President of Operations added: “We are deeply honored to receive this award because it recognizes our commitment to provide guests with an optimal experience. Our entire staff is dedicated to ensuring all guests have the best experience each and every time they visit us, and this award shows that our hard work is appreciated.”

The Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills hotel offers a balanced blend of features and amenities for both business and leisure travelers. It is located minutes from the Andy Williams Moon River Theater, the Branson Variety Theater, Hollywood Wax Museum, and the Grand Village shops. Guests of this 108-room hotel will enjoy free wireless high-speed Internet, an exercise room, a game room, an indoor heated pool, hot tub and sauna, and a free full hot morning breakfast.

About Myer Hotels
In the lodging business for over 44 years, the Myer family has actively contributed to Branson’s hospitality market for over 28 years and received numerous national awards. Myer Hotels includes the Best Western Center Pointe Inn, Best Western Music Capital Inn, Comfort Inn at Thousand Hills, Comfort Inn & Suites Branson Meadows, Comfort Inn West, and Holiday Inn Express Green Mtn. Drive. The properties emphasize excellent locations, countless amenities and exceptional customer service while focusing on great value in the upper mid-scale area. For more information about these hotels please visit www.myerhotels.com.

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,100 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. As of March 31, 2012, more than 350 hotels were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 30,000 rooms, and approximately 80 hotels, representing approximately 7,000 rooms, were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in approximately 20 other countries and territories. The company’s Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide. In addition, via its Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at member hotels.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.
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Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Hotel Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

 2012 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

BRANSON, MO, JULY 17, 2012 – The public is invited to attend an unforgettable day of hope on Friday, July 20, for the Homes of Hope Joplin “Raising the Roof” benefit event at Branson Landing.

An array of family-fun activities will kick-off the event at 10 AM. Children can show off their inner creativity and participate in the “Draw Your Dream Home” t-shirt design activity. Then, guests can purchase raffle tickets for their chance to win show tickets to numerous Branson shows, dinner for two to different Branson Landing restaurants, tickets to Silver Dollar City, Ride the Ducks and more!

Southwest Missouri-native musical group, City Limits, will take the stage at 7 PM. In their third decade of performing together, the group of four high school friends guarantees a high-energy performance of rock-n-roll favorites.

Then, at 9 PM, America’s Got Talent® finalist, Pete Peterkin, will guest host a special musical performance by five of the top 10 American Idol® finalists as part of the benefit concert. Finalists set to perform include: Ace Young, Diana Degarmo, Scott Savol, Siobhan Magnus and Alexis Grace. These five finalists perform in The Finalists, LIVE! tour at Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson.

“We are so excited to be able to end our run huge with a full-on, blow-out, free show this Friday night at the Landing,” says Season 5 finalist, Ace Young. “Bring your family and have fun with us this Friday at the Landing and make sure to pick up some show merchandise and tickets for our Saturday night show at Andy Williams Moon River Theatre and help us help Joplin. With the effects of the tornado still visible, this Saturday, we want to donate a percentage of our show ticket sales to help Joplin’s city rebuild.”

All proceeds raised from the concert, raffle and t-shirt activity on Friday will be donated to the Homes of Hope Joplin.

Homes of Hope Joplin, a nonprofit organization, was founded in Branson and created to build homes for those whose homes were destroyed in the May 22, 2011 tornado. The organization’s goal is to build 20 energy efficient, cost effective, small carbon footprint homes. For more information, please visit www.bransonlanding.com or www.homesofhopejoplin.org.

To view a complete show schedule and to purchase tickets to The Finalists, LIVE! tour at Andy Williams Moon River Theatre, performing now through August 18th, visit www.AndyWilliams.com or call (800) 666-6094.

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Please join us every Wednesday for “Hooray for Hump Day”, as we help you “over the hump” of your work week. Starting July 18th from 5 – 7pm we are adding live music. This Wednesday please enjoy a glass of wine along with the easy listening guitar music of Randy Leiter. Ask us about your Drink Special of the Evening!

The Dark Knight Rises in Branson on the Largest IMAX Screen in the Midwest

Branson, MO – Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex will debut it’s first Hollywood IMAX DMR film presentation to a sold-out crowd at 11:59 pm on Thursday, July 19th, filling the largest IMAX screen in the Midwest, a whopping six stories tall and 83 feet wide.

The first Hollywood IMAX DMR film presented will be the highly-anticipated “The Dark Knight Rises” – an epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. In helming the film, Christopher Nolan employed IMAX cameras even more extensively than he did on “The Dark Knight,” which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX cameras.

“Having shot almost half the picture with large-format IMAX film cameras, it is very important to me that we show ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in the IMAX film format wherever possible,” stated Christopher Nolan.

The Ozarks Discovery IMAX Theater inside Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex underwent an extensive upgrade process for days in preparation.

“It was a perfect time to offer IMAX DMR – The IMAX Experience – to our audiences,” said Randy Brashers, President of Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex. “The Dark Knight Rises will represent the best of what IMAX DMR can be, with nearly an hour of the movie filmed in IMAX’s native, superior 70mm format.”

IMAX’s proprietary DMR (Digital Media Remastering) process, allows conventional films to be upconverted into IMAX format. This special digital technology allows films shot on 35mm for conventional theaters to be shown in IMAX venues. In 2002, “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and an IMAX-format re-release of the 1995 film “Apollo 13,” were the first official applications of the DMR process.

The Ozarks Discovery IMAX Theater is one of only a handful of IMAX Theaters in the country still opting to use actual 70mm film for Hollywood IMAX DMRs, instead of a smaller digital projection.

“What does this all mean” asked Brashers. “It means that our images for Hollywood IMAX DMR films have the potential to fill the entire screen, all six stories tall and 83 feet wide. It means that it’s the largest Hollywood IMAX DMR presentation in the Midwest. And it comes with all the trademarks of “The IMAX Experience” – exceptional quality, sound and clarity – it’s truly immersive.”

“The Dark Knight Rises,” after it’s midnight debut, will show daily at Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex at 1:50 p.m., 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. For tickets or more information, call 800-419-4832 or visit www.bransonimax.com. Stay up to date on events, special promotions or announcements – Like Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex on Facebook!

This Saturday a local group called, “Branson Flash Mob” will surprise shoppers at the TANGER OUTLETS mall with two Flash Mobs. In celebration of the premiere of this summer’s blockbuster movie, “The Dark Knight Rises”, Bob Nichols Company is rallying the troupes for an outdoor dance ambush. This is the second time BNC has teamed with Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex to promote the opening of a Hollywood Movie.

Branson Flash Mob is a group of mostly local citizens who enjoy the fun of this type of guerilla marketing. Flash mobs, originally created as a type of rebellious public celebration, was first utilized as this type of marketing tool last year, when BNC produced its first effort for the Hollywood opening of “Harry Potter”, also at the IMAX Entertainment Complex.

“From there it grew into a Facebook page and now is being revived to even larger participation,” said Bob Nichols, Managing member of BNC.

Once again, Michelle Willadsen, of Branson’s Midwest Dance Revolution, is choreographing the mobsters. Participants learn the choreography by watching the rehearsal video posted online, then they just show up and dance!

The “Batman” flash mob will be this Saturday, July 14 at the Tanger Outlet Mall. There will be two dances, the first in front of the Fudgery at 4:30 p.m. and the second in front of SAS Shoes just 20 minutes later, at 4:50 p.m. There will be a third flash mob inside the IMAX Entertainment Complex just before the official premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises: The IMAX Experience” in all-new IMAX DMR at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, July 19.

Please feel free to attend any of these events. They are colorful, with many different age groups participating, and enjoying the show. If you have any questions or would like to talk about the event, please call Bob Nichols at 417-593-3418. Flash Mob Branson is operated by BNC and full information regarding this, and future events, can be found at www.Facebook.com/BransonFlashMob.

Other entertainment opportunities such as commercial video and photo shoots as well as gigs for professionals can be found at www.Facebook.com/BobNicholsCompany.

For more information about “The Dark Knight Rises: The IMAX Experience” or to purchase tickets – go to: www.bransonimax.com.

Starting today Kids 12 and under can come see American Idols in The Finalist Live for FREE! Live in concert til July 21st is Ace Young, Diana DeGarmo, Scott Savol, Siobhan Magnus and Alexis Grace! Don’t forget to come back for Group 3 Starting July 23rd and Staying til August 18th! Ruben Studdard, Bo Bice, Vonzell Solomon, Katie Stevens, RJ Helton!
All are hosted by Americas Got Talent Pete Peterkin. Don’t forget kids eat for $1 at the Moon River Grill. Proceeds go to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Branson Country USA with Special Guest Show Red Hot & Blue! of the Clay Cooper Theatre – July 13, 2012

Recorded LIVE on Friday night at 10:30 PM
This show is broadcast on radio stations around the country.
Airing Saturday nights at 7:00 PM on KRZK – 106.3 in Branson, MO.
And Sunday nights at 9:00 PM. on KHOZ – 102.9 in Harrison, AR.

You can also listen via the internet. www.bransoncountryusa.net
Show airs at 7:00 PM (cst.) – Every Saturday Night

Grand Country Music Hall
1945 W. 76 Country Blvd.
Branson, MO 65616
417-335-2484 – Reservations
417-336-5829 – Fax

A Critical Point in Time for CAM Food Pantries

July 11, 2012… Over the past 25 years, Christian Action Ministries (CAM) has helped to fight hunger in Taney County. Currently CAM operates food pantries in both Branson and Forsyth, as well as a monthly mobile outreach to eastern Taney County and an average of five major food drops per year. For several years now, the need has continued to escalate to the point that CAM is now assisting an average of over 1,000 families per month. Those seeking help are provided a four-day supply of nutritionally balanced food for each member of the family. Food drops, sponsored by various grants, enable families to gather a significant supply of food from a semi-truck load distributed at the First Baptist Church parking lot in Forsyth.

According to CAM Board Chairman Jack Burke, “We have been blessed with an extremely supportive community that has enabled us to continually meet the needs and actually expand our services. However we are approaching a critical point in time with the Farm Bill of 2012 that is now being debated in Congress. As it stands, the bill would cut approximately $16 billion dollars from the SNAP Program (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps). Since the majority of the people we help are on the SNAP program, these cutback will put additional strains on our supplies. Estimates vary, but experts predict that 1.8 to 3 million people will be cut from the SNAP program under the cutbacks in this bill.”

Burke went on to explain that there have also been recent cutbacks in the monthly shipments of federal commodities, “Normally we receive 6 to 7 commodity items per monthly shipment. This month it was reduced to only two items and it appears that this shortfall will continue for a while.”

When shortfalls hit the CAM inventory, CAM then proceeds to purchase subsidized food through the regional Ozark Food Harvest bank and/or supplement their stock with wholesale purchases from local food markets. The food bank is the first choice because CAM is able to purchase food for 12 to 18 cents per pound. The alternative of purchasing from retail food stores is considerably more expensive.

That’s where the problem is further compounded according to Burke, “Thanks to generous grants and specific fundraisers, we have substantial credits on hand to buy food from the Ozark Food Harvest. However, they have been hit by reductions as well and their current selection is very limited. That means we have to use cash on hand to buy direct from food stores. Local managers have been wonderful in keeping costs down for us, but it’s still 6 to 10 times more expensive than using the food bank.”

These economic hurdles increase the importance of CAM’s upcoming annual fundraiser, the 4th Annual Gospel Sing-Off to be held on September 2nd at Sight & Sound Theatres.
As Burke explained, “We still need more businesses and organizations to sign up as sponsors for the event in return for advertising in the program. Currently Branson Tourism Center and SIX are key sponsors for the event and we also have commitments from CenturyLink, L&J Plumbing, and the Titanic. But we definitely need more sponsors to help us raise the operational funds we need to continue serving the county.
Then of course we need the community to come out in force and attend the event. My goal is to fill Sight & Sound, which means a little more than 2,000 ticket sales.”

Sponsorship information and contestant entry information can be found at www.christianactionministries.org. Tickets can be purchased through Sight & Sound or Branson Tourism Center. Price is $12 for adults, $6 for children.

This year’s Sing-Off will open with a guest appearance by Branson’s Voices of Glory, top five finalists in America’s Got Talent and a closing appearance by last year’s winners, Southern Raised. Celebrity judges include George Dyer, Jak Knudsen, Monte Schisler, Ronnie Page, and one of the Voices of Glory. Emcee will again be Bob Hubbard of Foggy River Boys fame.

The Sing-Off features 10 finalists competing before a panel of celebrity judges. First place wins $1,500 plus 3 half-hour performance slots at Silver Dollar City on the following day for the closing of their Country Gospel Picnic festival. Second and third place win $1,000 and $500 respectively.

Christian Action Ministries operates food pantries in Branson and Forsyth, as well as a monthly mobile outreach to eastern Taney County communities. CAM is currently serving an average of 1,000 families per month. Anyone wishing to organize a food drive, donate cash, food, or time, can call Pat Davis at 334-1157 or visit the CAM website at www.christianactionministries.org.

Jack Burke
Christian Action Ministries
[email protected]
417-527-8031