NEWS RELEASE

Communications and Marketing Office
600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900

For more information, contact:
Phone: 386-226-6157
Fax: 386-226-6158
Contact: Mary Van Buren
Phone: 386-226-6525

Embry-Riddle Homecoming Features Airshow, Parade, Athletic Events

Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 17, 2005 -- Homecoming at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University this year will include the Florida SkyFest airshow, the Once Upon a Time parade, and many other events that are open to the community.

The airshow, to be held Oct. 29-30 at Daytona Beach International Airport, features the nation’s best military and civilian aerobatic champions, wing-walkers, formation flights, warbirds, and the Shockwave Jet Truck. On the ground, the public can tour aircraft and chat with the pilots. Souvenirs, food, and beverages will be available for purchase.

Embry-Riddle’s Homecoming events will take place Oct. 26-30 and include a job expo, an open house for prospective students, a student talent competition, and a presentation on Embry-Riddle’s history. Basketball, golf, softball, and volleyball games are also scheduled.

All of the Homecoming events listed below are open to the public. Admission is free unless noted otherwise. Embry-Riddle is located at 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach.

Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 26-27

Industry/Career Expo. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., ICI Center, Embry-Riddle. More than 100 employers in aviation/aerospace, business, engineering, and high-tech fields will be on hand to talk with jobseekers. Contact: Adriana Hall, (386) 226-7018.

Thursday, Oct. 27

Student Talent Show. 8-10 p.m., John Paul Riddle Student Center, Embry-Riddle. Students will compete in the categories of individual, group, and band. Cash prizes will be awarded. Contact: Ossie Benitah, (386) 226-6039.

Women’s Volleyball Game. 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., ICI Center, Embry-Riddle. The Eagles take on Northwood University. Admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for senior citizens over 55, military with I.D., children 6 and older, and non-ERAU students with college I.D. Admission is free for children under 6 and Embry-Riddle students with Eagle Card. Contact: Joslynn Gallop, (386) 323-5005.

Friday, Oct. 28

Admissions Prospective Student Open House. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prospective students and their families should check in at 8 a.m. in the ICI Center. Registration can be done in advance by calling (800) 862-2416 or (386) 226-6100. The morning program features an activities fair that will provide information on academic offerings at Embry-Riddle and student life areas such as housing, financial aid, dining services, and recreational sports. The afternoon program includes tours of the campus and residence halls and briefings on admission and financial aid programs. Contact: Mary Ellen McConnell, (386) 226-6124.

Embry-Riddle Eagle Open Presented by Consolidated Tomoka. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., with shotgun start, LPGA International, Daytona Beach. The cost for this scholarship fundraiser is $100 per player. Contact: John Phillips, (386) 323-5020.

Alumni Softball Tournament. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Embry-Riddle Intramural and Recreational Sports Field on Richard Petty Boulevard. Teams of alumni players will compete against each other. Contact: Leslie Whitmer, (386) 226-6531.

Women’s Volleyball Alumni Game. 2 to 3:30 p.m., ICI Center, Embry-Riddle. Teams of alumni players will go head to head. Contact: Joslynn Gallop, (386) 323-5005.

Once Upon a Time Homecoming Parade. 3:30 to 5 p.m. Floats and displays created by 100 campus clubs and organizations will make their way through the Embry-Riddle campus, ending at the ICI Center. The distribution of free novelties and the best viewing of the parade performances will be at the Wright Flyer monument in front of Hunt Library. Contact: Ossie Benitah, (386) 226-6039.

Homecoming Tailgate Party. 5 to 7 p.m., ICI Center parking lot, Embry-Riddle. The tailgate party includes free food, a face painter, a balloon artist, and old-time photos. The headliner act, Recycled Percussion, is a drum show that proves that everything including the kitchen sink can be used to rock. Contact: Ossie Benitah, (386) 226-6039.

Blue and Gold Men’s Basketball Alumni Game. 5:30 to 6:15 p.m., ICI Center, Embry-Riddle. Teams of alumni players will challenge each other in this opener for the Homecoming game. Contact: Chad Keller, (386) 323-5007.

Homecoming Men’s Basketball Game. 7-9 p.m., ICI Center, Embry-Riddle. The Eagles will take on the Wildcats of Johnson & Wales University, and the Homecoming king and queen will be crowned at halftime. Admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for senior citizens over 55, military with I.D., children 6 and older, and non-ERAU students with college I.D. Admission is free for children under 6 and Embry-Riddle students with Eagle Card. Contact: Chad Keller, (386) 323-5007.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Heritage Project Presentation. 8:45 to 10 a.m., “A” Building, Room 109, Embry-Riddle. Professor Steve Craft will speak on the history of Embry-Riddle. Contact: Bob Rockett, (386) 226-6026.

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29-30

Florida SkyFest Airshow. Gates open at 8 a.m., airshow starts at 11 a.m., event ends at 4 p.m. Daytona Beach International Airport. The airshow features the nation’s best military and civilian aerobatic champions, wing-walkers, formation flights, warbirds, and the Shockwave Jet Truck. On the ground, the public can tour aircraft and chat with the pilots. Souvenirs, food, and beverages will be available for purchase. Advance tickets, which are $16 for adults and $8 for children, are available through Oct. 28 at all Central Florida Bank of America locations. Tickets at the gate are $20 for adults, $10 for children. Children under the age of 7 are admitted free. On-site parking is free. For more information on the airshow, visit www.FloridaSkyFest.com. For information on lodging, visit www.airshow.daytonabeach.com. Contact: (866) 296-8677.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates more than 30,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Extended Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, and through distance learning.