Tag Archives: Events

WindSeeker aims for May 13 debut

From the Sandusky Register

SANDUSKY

Cedar Point officials racing to complete WindSeeker have a new deadline.

They want to have it ready for a charity event May 13 to benefit the American Red Cross.

The park opens for the season May 14.

Last year’s new ride, Shoot the Rapids, opened several weeks late.

John Hildebrandt, Cedar Point’s general manager, said he’s confident this year’s big new ride will open on time.

Asked earlier this week if WindSeeker will be ready, he laughed, paused a moment, then said, “I’m confident we’ll have the ride on opening day.”

The 301-foot-tall tower to which the ride’s swings will be attached has been completed.

Every year, Cedar Point debuts its new attraction with a charity event to benefit the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In the past, the Red Cross auctioned the seats. This year, in a change of format, the Red Cross will admit anyone willing to pay the $100 fee to be among the first riders. There will be a $50 fee for people who want to attend the event but aren’t going to ride.

Ron Rude, executive director of the Firelands Red Cross, said the nature of the ride prompted the Red Cross to try a new approach.

Thrill seekers riding a roller coaster or a similar ride are willing to bid to be in the front seats, a roller coaster’s most thrilling location. WindSeeker riders, however, whirl around in swings. There’s no front row.

“We knew there were 64 seats on the new ride. And there isn’t any front seat,” he said. “So we decided rather than have competition for the first couple of seats in the train, like we normally do, we hope that more than 64 people would like to join the party at Pink’s and ride on WindSeeker.”

The price of admission for the event includes hot dogs at Pink’s, the new gourmet hot dog stand at Cedar Point, a preview performance of “Tropical Heat, Island Beat” at the Red Garter Saloon, a commemorative medallion, a certificate of participation, a drawing for special prizes and free parking.

 

Red Cross’ WindSeeker First Rider Fund-Raiser Offers a Night of Firsts!

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – Sporting a new look and format, this year’s Red Cross First Rider and Party at Pink’s hosted by Cedar Point will offer participants rides on the park’s new WindSeeker towering swing ride and more!

For starters, the new-look event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 13, the night before the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort will open for its 142nd season.
That night, special guests will be treated to rides on the 301-foot-tall WindSeeker, (Riders must be at least 52 inches tall.), complimentary hot dogs at Pink’s, Cedar Point’s new gourmet hot dog stand, and a preview performance of Tropical Heat, Island Beat that will be presented at the Red Garter Saloon throughout the summer.  (WindSeeker will be the only ride that will be in operation that night.)

Participants will also receive free parking and guests who preregister for the event will automatically be entered in a drawing for special prizes that will include WindSeeker merchandise and membership to the Great Ohio Coaster Club (GOCC).  All WindSeeker riders will also receive a commemorative medallion.

To register, interested guests must complete the entry form on the event’s website (www.firelandsredcross.org) by Thursday, May 12.  Preregistration will begin immediately.  There will also be day-of event registration at the Guest Services Booth at Cedar Point on that night.  Guests who register that day will also receive a Certificate of Participation.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Cost to participate will be $100 for riders and $50 for non-riders.  Children age 2 and under are free.

For more information about the event, please call the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross at 419.626.1641 or toll-free at 1.800.589.2286 or visit its website at www.firelandsredcross.org.

20 Years of Putting at the Point Red Cross Miniature Golf Challenge Returns to Cedar Point

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – For the 20th consecutive year, Cedar Point will host the American Red Cross Miniature Golf Challenge at the park’s Challenge Park miniature golf course on Wednesday, May 11.

The first Red Cross Miniature Golf Challenge was held on the newly opened Challenge Park miniature golf courses on Wednesday, May 6, 1992.

The American Red Cross Miniature Golf Challenge will be a four-person, 36-hole scramble.  Registration will begin at 4 p.m. with a shotgun start at 4:30 p.m.  Teams of four can enter the challenge for $120 or individuals can enter for $30 each and will be placed on a team.  Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams.  Deadline for registration is Friday, May 6.  A special Hole-In-One contest will also be held.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Spectators can attend the event by purchasing three raffle tickets for $5.  A raffle will be held for the chance to win a Cedar Point Getaway Package.  With an approximate value of nearly $900, the Getaway Package includes an overnight stay on Saturday, June 4 in a Horizon Suite at Breakers Tower that features a Jacuzzi and panoramic views of Lake Erie, plus four one-day admission tickets to Cedar Point.

Individuals and businesses can also participate by sponsoring one or more of the holes at the event.  For a $50 sponsorship fee per hole, the name of the business or individual will be featured on a special sign placed at the tee of their sponsored holes.  Businesses can choose a specific hole to sponsor or one will be selected for them.

Sign-up sheets, hole sponsorship information and raffle tickets for the Cedar Point Getaway Package are available at the American Red Cross office at 300 Central Ave. in Sandusky.

For more information about the event, please call the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross at 419.626.1641 or toll-free at 1.800.589.2286.

Cedar Fair Partners With Guinness World Records® LIVE! for a Record-Breaking Summer

Cedar Fair Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio, April 13, 2011 — For more than two decades, Cedar Fair has been shattering world records for having the tallest, fastest, steepest, most thrilling rides and roller coasters on the planet! This summer, park guests will be able to get in on the record-breaking fun as Cedar Fair Entertainment Company has announced plans to partner with Guinness World Records’ new division, GWR Live!, for a summer-long series of interactive record-breaking-events at the Company’s amusement parks across North America.

Official Guinness World Records® adjudicators will be present at Cedar Point, Knott’s Berry Farm, Kings Island, Canada’s Wonderland, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, Dorney Park, California’s Great America, Worlds of Fun and Valleyfair amusement parks, to officiate a variety of record attempts by both guests and the parks.

“When you think of world-record-breaking rides and roller coasters, you think about Cedar Fair,” stated Bryan Edwards, spokesperson for Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. “By working with Guinness World Records, we will be able to bring an exciting new level of fun to our guests this summer.”

Guinness World Records Live! is a new, dynamic business area of the global Guinness World Records brand, which takes the magic of record-breaking straight to the fingertips of the public in an interactive, entertaining and accessible fashion. First developed in Dubai, the Guinness World Records interactive experience involves creating an environment where the public can attempt records and become genuine record holders instantaneously. Its mission is to entertain, educate and inspire people through a live Guinness World Records experience; and to celebrate ordinary people achieving extraordinary feats.

“The adrenalin rush of live record breaking events along with the thrills of Cedar Fair amusement parks is a hugely exciting project for us at Guinness World Records,” says Paul O’ Neill, vice president of Guinness World Records Entertainment. “Visitors to the parks will be treated to something special and unique this summer.”

The Cedar Fair summer of records will kick off in late April at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina with a record attempt for the “Most People Dyeing Easter Eggs.”

For more information about Cedar Fair Entertainment Company or Guinness World Records, please log on to www.cedarfair.com or www.guinnessworldrecords.com.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: FUN) is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Company, which owns and operates 11 amusement parks, six outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels, is one of the largest regional amusement park operators in the world. Its parks are located in Ohio, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, and Toronto, Ontario. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in California under a management contract. Cedar Fair’s flagship park, Cedar Point, has been consistently voted the “Best Amusement Park in the World” in a prestigious annual poll conducted by Amusement Today newspaper.

About Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages and is one of the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records also annually publishes the Gamer’s Edition; a records book devoted solely to the world of computer gaming and high score record achievements. The Guinness World Records website (www.guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year. Guinness World Records is part of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada’s largest privately owned companies which is a conglomerate of interests, including advertising, broadcasting, grocery stores and automotive retailing.

Cedar Point to Host First 5K Challenge

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – There will be a lot of people running around Cedar Point on Father’s Day morning, Sunday, June 19 and none of them will be getting in line for a roller coaster!

Cedar Point has announced plans to host the first Cedar Point 5K Challenge, a 5,000-meter race (3.1 miles) that will take runners along the park’s legendary midways and past the largest collection of rides and roller coasters on the planet!  The race will take place on Sunday, June 19 and will start at 7 a.m.  An Awards Ceremony will take place immediately after the race.

The entry fee for the Cedar Point 5K Challenge is $25, which includes parking on race day and a coupon good for $12 off a regular adult admission ticket to Cedar Point on Sunday, June 19.  Each participant will also receive a Tech race T-shirt.  A portion of the race proceeds will be used to support the cross-country teams at Sandusky High School, St. Mary Central Catholic High School and Perkins High School.

“The new Cedar Point 5K Challenge will be a fun way to raise money for local schools,” said John Hildebrandt, general manager of Cedar Point.  “Running through the park in the morning when it is empty of guests is something you don’t get to do very often.  It will be a real treat for the runners.”

Plaques featuring Snoopy will be awarded to the overall male and female finishers. The top three male and female placers in the following age groups: 13 and under; 14 to 19; 20 to 29; 30 to 39; 40 to 49; 50 to 59; and 60 and older; will each receive a commemorative race medal.

Participants must preregister to be a part of this exciting new race.  Entry forms are available by visiting the race’s web site: www.cedarpoint5kchallenge.com, which was developed by the web design class at Perkins High School.  All entries must be submitted by Sunday, June 12.  Preregistration is required.  There will not be any day-of-race registration.

Race packet pickup will take place on Friday, June 17 (from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and on Saturday, June 18 (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at Cedar Point’s Castaway Bay indoor waterpark resort.

For more information about the Cedar Point 5K Challenge, please visit the race’s web site at: www.cedarpoint5kchallenge.com or www.cedarpoint.com.