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ROCK STARS, ACTORS AND ATHLETES TOOK TO THE BOWLING LANES FOR THE FIRST VH1 CLASSIC ROCK AUTISM CELEBRITY BOWL-OFF

Event Raised Money and Awareness for Autism in Support of hollyrod4kids, ACT Today!, and The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism
LOS ANGELES, CA-NOVEMBER 20, 2008- VH1 Classic’s Rock Autism Celebrity Bowl-Off took over Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood on Thursday, November 13 as rock stars, actors, and athletes alike put on their bowling shoes in support of autism. The evening benefitted three autism organizations and raised funds which will be donated to the charities: hollyrod4kids, ACT Today!, and The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism.

The event was hosted by actress Holly Robinson Peete, her husband NFL legend Rodney Peete, and former Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. Members of the bands Velvet Revolver, Camp Freddy, The Cult, L.A. Guns, Great White, Steel Panther, Lit, Goo Goo Dolls, Rooney and Lifehouse came out to bowl for the cause as did Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Scott Ian of Anthrax, former NFL players Jason Sehorn and Ed Marinaro, and John Salley of the NBA.
Great White pulled out all of the stops in the tough bowling competition and came out on top as the tournament winners. The rockers were awarded with trophies and VH1 bowling shirts.

As classic rock blared through the speakers and VH1 Classic videos streamed on screens through the bowling alley, celebrities and Bowl-Off attendees browsed a silent auction table overflowing with rare rock and roll and sports memorabilia. In addition to the silent auction, a few items were auctioned live including an autographed Jane’s Addiction guitar, a USC football helmet signed by 7 Heisman Trophy winners, and a signed 2008 Lakers team jersey.

VH1 Classic’s Rock Autism campaign is designed to help educate parents and build awareness about autism and to raise funds for a variety of autism research, advocacy and support organizations. To learn more about the campaign, please visit www.rockautism.vh1classic.com where viewers can access information on autism, link to autism organizations, and find out about upcoming fundraising events and auctions in conjunction with the initiative.

hollyrod4kids:
hollyrod4kids aims to globally ameliorate the quality of life of children that have been negatively impacted by circumstances beyond their control such as disease, famine and natural disasters. hollyrod4kids also raises funds to help children with Autism and their families’ access and afford crucial treatments and therapies. For more information go to: http://www.hollyrod.org.

About ACT Today!:
Autism Care and Treatment Today! provides funding for immediate, emergency, and ongoing services and treatments to children, adolescents and adults with autism. ACT Today! is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3)organization whose mission is to increase access to Autism treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis, Therapeutic, and Biomedical programs and treatments. Its goal is to introduce and help facilitate early and on-going treatment by providing the necessary resources including funding, guidance, referrals and follow up to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and their families. For more information go to: www.act-today.org.

About Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism:
The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism’s primary goal is to promote awareness and support families affected by autism spectrum disorders. Its mission is to aid financially disadvantaged families who need assistance in caring for their children with autism; to fund education and research into the causes and consequences of childhood autism; and to serve as a clearinghouse and communications center for new programs and services developed for individuals with autism. For more information go to: www.flutiefoundation.org.


Launched in May 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that present videos, concerts and music specials all day long, featuring the best of rock, soul and pop artists from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, including The Beatles, The Stones, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Police, Madonna and many more. Learn more at VH1Classic.com.
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Contacts:

Nicole Frand/VH1 Nyle Washington/VH1
310-752-8316 212-846-5576