KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS RELEASE
[Insert Company Logo]
Media Contact:
[NAME]
[PHONE NUMBER]
[EMAIL ADDRESS]
‘Call 811’ Message Supported by [STAKEHOLDER] to
Sponsor Jockey Victor Espinoza for Second
Consecutive Year
Espinoza will be aboard the early favorite, as he seeks his second straight
and third overall Kentucky Derby win
CITY, STATE, (April 29, 2015) – [INSERT STAKEHOLDER], a proud member of the
Common Ground Alliance (CGA) and supporter of 811, the national call before you dig
number, is pleased to announce that CGA and more than 30 of its member organizations
have partnered to sponsor jockey Victor Espinoza, who will ride the early favorite at this
Saturday’s 141st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
CGA is the organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines and the safety of
people who dig near them.
CGA members partnered to sponsor Espinoza for all three Triple Crown races in 2014,
including wins at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, and are sponsoring him for
600 other races throughout 2015, including the Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs
on May 1. Last year’s sponsorship led to widespread media coverage and record-breaking
traffic on Call811.com.
Espinoza will wear the “Call 811” message – which promotes the national “call before you
dig” phone number – on his saddle and his boots at Churchill Downs. The 811 service helps
homeowners and professionals who plan to dig notify multiple utility companies with one
phone call.
Everyone who calls 811 a few days before digging is connected to a local one call
notification center that will take the caller’s information and communicate it to local utility
companies. Professional utility locating technicians will then visit the dig site to mark the
approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint or flags. Once a site has
been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas.
Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities increases the
likelihood of an unintentional damage, which can cause serious injuries, service disruptions
and repair costs. According to CGA data, nearly half of American homeowners who plan to
dig this year will not call 811 beforehand, putting themselves and their communities at risk.
“Victor has been a great partner to CGA by diligently promoting 811 to both the English and
Spanish-speaking communities,” said Bob Kipp, Common Ground Alliance President. “As the
defending champion, he has a unique platform to share the important 811 message. A buried
utility is damaged every six minutes because someone decided to dig without calling 811,
and we hope Victor’s continued involvement with the ‘Call 811’ campaign can help improve
that figure.”
The following CGA member organizations contributed funds to sponsor Espinoza: Alabama
811, Atmos Energy, Avista, BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric), ConEd, DigAlert
(Underground Service Alert of Southern California), Dig Safe System, Dig Safely New
York, Duke Energy, Enterprise Products, Georgia 811, Iowa Pipeline Association,
Kentucky 811, Kinder Morgan, Magellan Midstream Partners, Miss Utility of
Maryland/D.C., Montana 811, National Grid, Nebraska Pipeline Association, New York
811, North Carolina 811, One Call Concepts, Oklahoma 811, Ohio Utilities Protection
Service, Pennsylvania 811, Premier Utility Services, Rhino Marking and Protection
Systems, Shell, SoCalGas (Southern California Gas Company), Sunoco Logistics,
Sunshine 811, Texas811, USA North 811 and Virginia 811.
“CGA greatly appreciates the contributions of each member organization for making this
sponsorship of Victor Espinoza possible,” said Bob Kipp, Common Ground Alliance
President. “The Kentucky Derby is the longest standing tradition in all of American sports,
and given that it occurs during the peak spring digging season, it’s the perfect venue for
promoting the importance of calling 811 to homeowners and professionals.”
“[STAKEHOLDER] supports CGA and 811, so we are very excited that this important safety
message will once again ride in the Kentucky Derby,” said [STAKEHOLDER
REPRESENTATIVE, TITLE]. “We hope the exposure gained through this sponsorship will
remind everyone to always call 811 to know what’s below before digging.”
Pre-race coverage begins Saturday at noon EDT on NBC Sports Network, with NBC picking
up the coverage at 4 p.m. and continuing through the post-race ceremony. Coverage of the
Longines Kentucky Oaks race will air on NBC Sports Network starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT on
Friday.
About CGA
CGA is a member-driven association of 1,700 individuals, organizations and sponsors in
every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to
saving lives and preventing damage to underground infrastructure by promoting effective
damage prevention practices. CGA has established itself as the leading organization in an
effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared
responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at
www.commongroundalliance.com.
# # #