PITTSBURGH, PA--(Marketwire - March 23, 2009) -
GNC today
announced that it is the presenting sponsor of Phil Keoghan's new
Ride Across America,
kicking off in Los Angeles on March 28 and ending on May 9 in New York City
(the day before the finale of "The Amazing Race 14").
As part of the sponsorship, GNC's on-site research and development team
helped develop Phil's nutritional plan and will be providing the "Amazing
Race" star with nutritional supplements for his daily dietary needs,
including: GNC Maximum Greens Complete, Pro Performance AMP Amplified Whey
Protein, Pro Performance AMP Amplified Maxertion N.O., Cytosport CytoMax
Pre-Formance, Cytosport CytoMax Sport Drink, Mega Men Sport Vitapak,
Powerbar Gels and Phil's newest nutritional product,
NOW One
Square Meal. NOW One Square Meal has a low glycemic index made from
only natural sugars present in dried fruit and honey as well as a perfectly
balanced amount of complex carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber and
healthy fats which provides energy in a sustained way. This great tasting
bar is available only at GNC stores or on GNC.com, and based on the meal
replacement aspect and taste it will be a top seller.
The 40-day, coast-to-coast bike ride, "
Ride Across America Presented by
GNC," will provide "Amazing Race" fans opportunities to meet Phil at 16
GNC stores (see schedule below), attend open-casting calls for the next
installment of "The Amazing Race," have Phil sign copies of his
best-selling book "No Opportunity Wasted," and participate in rallies to
help raise money and awareness for the National MS Society. As a special
bonus, fans are encouraged to ride along with Phil as he departs from GNC
stores throughout his journey.
"This is a great time to talk up the value of biking... it's not only good
for your wallet but it also does wonders for your waistline as well," says
Phil Keoghan. "GNC, with its Live Well approach to living a healthy
lifestyle, is a great partner as we take that message across America. The
Live Well mandate has perfect synergy with my personal philosophy called
NOW (No Opportunity Wasted), which is all about living life to the fullest.
Together with GNC, we want to share our message with as many people as
possible during my 3,600-mile journey while at the same time raising
awareness for the National MS Society, a fantastic charity I have actively
supported for years."
During many of the stops across America, GNC and Phil will also be
participating in rallies hosted by the National MS Society to build
awareness for
Bike MS and the MS movement.
Customers are encouraged to participate by:
-- Donating at your local GNC store.
-- Donating online at
GNC.com,
Ride Across America or
the
National MS Society.
-- Joining Phil at one of his 16 stops across America.
"All of us at GNC and the National MS Society are extremely impressed with
Phil's commitment and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle and to his
fundraising efforts for the National MS Society," says Tom Dowd, Executive
Vice President, Stores, Operations & Development for GNC. "Having been
fans of the 'The Amazing Race' and Phil from the first season, we
recognized what a great opportunity this was to partner with Phil and raise
money and awareness for Bike MS and the National MS Society.
"We're also very excited to have the opportunity to be the sole retailer of
Phil's fantastic tasting nutritional diet and sports bar, NOW One Square
Meal, a total meal replacement that is guaranteed to be a top seller at our
GNC stores," adds Dowd.
For additional information on NOW One Square Meal, visit
GNC.com.
The schedule for Phil's GNC's store visits is:
-- March 27: Fox Hills Mall, Culver City, CA
-- March 29: Mall Victor Valley, Victorville, CA
-- March 31: Blue Diamond Crossing, Las Vegas, NV
-- April 10/11: Southland Shopping Center, Aurora, CO
-- April 17: Southpointe Pavilions, Lincoln, NE
-- April 18: Shadow Lake Town Center, Papillion, NE
-- April 20: Pine Tree Plaza, Altoona, IA
-- April 24/25: Piper's Alley, Chicago, IL
-- April 29: Polaris Towne Center, Columbus, OH
-- May 1: GNC Headquarters 550 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, PA
-- May 2: Robinson Town Center, Pittsburgh, PA
-- May 4: Valley Mall, Hagerstown, MD
-- May 5: Washingtonian Center, Gaithersburg, MD
-- May 6: White Marsh Mall, Baltimore, MD
-- May 7: Andorra Shopping Center, Philadelphia, PA
-- May 8: 2 Broadway and Beaver Street, New York, NY
For more information on Ride Across America Presented by GNC, go to
GNC.com/Philrides.
Mega sports and entertainment agency, IMG, was instrumental in bringing
both GNC and their client Phil Keoghan together for "Ride Across America"
and NOW One Square Meal.
About GNC
GNC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is
the largest global specialty retailer of nutritional products; including
vitamin, mineral, herbal and other specialty supplements and sports
nutrition, diet and energy products. As of December 31, 2008, GNC has more
than 5,200 retail locations throughout the United States (including 954
franchise and 1,712 Rite Aid
store-within-a-store locations) and franchise operations in 44
international markets. The company -- which is dedicated to helping
consumers Live Well -- also offers products and product information online
at
www.gnc.com.
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Laura Brophy
212-537-5177, Ext 2
