LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tickets are now available to see medal winning gymnastics stars of the 2008 Summer Games, led by Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, along with Team USA performing together with some of the biggest names in music at the San Diego Sports Arena as they tape a national ABC television special, Frosted Pink with a Twist. The September 14, 2008 event will be the gymnasts' second public appearance since competing in the Beijing Summer Olympics. Starting at $33, pre-sale tickets for the September 14 taping go on sale today through Ticketmaster.
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Paired with these gymnasts will be icons of song, including Grammy-award winner Carole King, Cyndi Lauper and new billboard sensation Jesse McCartney, making for a historical event of sports, entertainment, and health awareness.
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Frosted Pink with a Twist is the anchor event of a multi-year television and multimedia campaign that focuses on educating viewers about cancers that primarily affect women. Hosted this year by Olympic Champion Mary Lou Retton, the show will highlight current All-Around Women's Gymnastics Champion and silver medal winner Shawn Johnson, Olympic All-Around Champion Nastia Liukin, defending Olympic All-Around Champion Paul Hamm as well other stars of the men's and women's US Olympic Gymnastics teams.
"Frosted Pink's message is simple, but necessary: we all need to do our part in the fight against women's cancer," said Ms. Retton. "Our hope is that with more information, women will become empowered and become better advocates for their own health."
Raising awareness is especially significant because research continues to find that despite significant improvements in the diagnostic tools and treatment options for women's cancers, many women lack the basic information they need to get quality care. Recent national studies show that only two-thirds of all women aged 40 and over (66.4 percent) receive regular mammograms and 42 percent of those polled in a 2007 survey said they did not have a conversation with their doctor about their cancer risks. Specifically, southern California leads the state with the highest annual death rate for women with breast cancer and outpaced the nation breast cancer incidence rate for females in 2004.
"According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an estimated 260,950 women will be diagnosed in 2008 with a women's cancer in the United States," said Mike Burg, CEO of Edge Entertainment and producer of Frosted Pink with a Twist. "We need to take every opportunity to educate as we entertain."
In 2007, the television event paired Grammy award-winning artists, such as Rascal Flatts and Joss Stone, with Olympic Champion women's figure skaters in a unique collaboration of stars from both disciplines. This year, Frosted Pink with a Twist will air nationally on ABC from 4 - 6 pm on Sunday, October 12. The show will re-air on additional cable networks throughout the remainder of the month.
Frosted Pink with a Twist is supported by presenting sponsors sanofi-aventis and Wachovia. Cream of Wheat, Five Rivers Winery, Laura Ashley, Merck & Co., Inc., Nationwide Insurance, and Woman's Day magazine have also signed on to support the show and promote the campaign in various ways.
Frosted Pink with a Twist is the creation of Mike Burg, CEO of Edge Entertainment and Edge Marketing & Management, who conceived of Frosted Pink after twice winning the battle against Hodgkin's disease. The Edge companies, based in Charlotte, North Carolina and Los Angeles, California, specialize in entertainment and sports specials for broadcast, Olympic sport arena tours, and representation of Olympic athletes. The Edge broadcast portfolio includes creating the Teen Choice Awards on FOX, the Kids Choice Awa
