Barona Keeps Meals on Wheels Rolling

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - August 19, 2008) - The ripple effect of escalating gas prices has had a dramatic impact on San Diego's Meals on Wheels, which relies on volunteers to deliver nutritious meals to seniors throughout San Diego County. Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino provided some relief today, in the form of a 4,000-gallon tanker of gas given to Meals on Wheels, kicking off the Barona Tanker-A-Day Great Gas Giveaway promotion.

"The work that Meals on Wheels does for seniors in our community is really inspiring," said Barona Tribal Vice Chairman Charles "Beaver" Curo as Barona's gas tanker rolled up to Meals on Wheels' Old Town headquarters. "So when we realized how much they were being impacted by the rising gas prices, it was natural for Barona to donate this first tanker of gas to Meals on Wheels."

Tanker-A-Day won't create convoys of trucks rumbling in and out of the serene Barona Valley. But from September 1 through September 27 shouts of joy will be heard as Barona gives a lucky winner 4,000 gallons of gas each day. And in addition to the Tanker-A-Day promotion, the Great Gas Game will give players, via daily drawings, the chance to win $50 gas cards, $250 gas cards or even a year's worth of free gasoline (valued at $200 per month for 12 months).

Barona expects to give away more than 160,000 gallons, over $800,000 worth of gas, as part of the Tanker-A-Day Great Gas Giveaway promotion. But today's donation, the equivalent of $20,000 worth of gas, was especially gratifying for Barona because it will allow Meals on Wheels to deliver over 72,000 meals into the homes of San Diego seniors in need.

"We are very grateful to receive this donation from Barona," said William A. Burzynski, Board Chair, Meals-on-Wheels Greater San Diego, Inc. "In this time of high gas prices, increased food costs and fewer community donations, this wonderful contribution will allow Meals on Wheels to offset some of the escalated costs involved in the delivery of hot meals to our seniors in need."

The mission of Meals-on-Wheels Greater San Diego Inc. is to support the independence and well being of seniors. This mission is accomplished through the delivery of nutritious meals to those who are unable to meet their own daily nutritional needs. The average age of a Meals-on-Wheels recipient is 80 and about 84% are considered low-income. Meals-on-Wheels home delivers two meals a day, seven days a week, including special diets, to seniors age 60 and over, throughout San Diego County. For more information, visit www.meals-on-wheels.org.

"The Tanker-A-Day promotion is a fun and exciting way for Barona and our players to deal with rising gas prices," said Rick Salinas, General Manager of Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino. "But it's equally as exciting for us to be able to help Meals on Wheels continue to serve the community as they do."

Ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2008 Southern California Indian Gaming Casino Satisfaction Study, Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino blends the best of San Diego's most elegant resorts with the gaming excitement of Las Vegas. Barona is San Diego's leading destination resort featuring 400 luxury guest rooms and suites, nine award-winning restaurants, the AmBience Day Spa, a full-service events center, and the 18-hole championship Barona Creek Golf Club, rated the 3rd best resort course in California by Golfweek magazine. For current progressive amounts and Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino reservations and information, visit www.barona.com or call toll free 888-7-BARONA (722-7662).

The J.D. Power and Associates SCIGC Study explores casino players' entire gaming experience, from arrival at the casino to cashing out their chips. The inaugural study provides a single measure to assess the levels of overall player satisfaction among casinos located throughout Southern California.

Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino received the highest numerical score among casinos with a minimum of 2,000 slot machines in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Southern California Indian Gaming Casino Satisfaction Study(SM). Study based on responses from 1,766 responses from gaming players who visited an Indian casino in Southern California between December 2007 and June 2008. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in May-June 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Audrey Benedetto/Greg Block (619) 236-8397 audrey@benedettopr.com Kelly Jacobs Speer (619) 330-4013 or (619) 933-5013