CIAA Memorabilia Sales to directly benefit CIAA General Scholarship Fund
Great Gift Ideas for CIAA Fans Raises Money for Member Schools

December 8, 2004

Fans, students, and alumni can visit the tournament Web site (ciaa2005.com) to purchase the “CIAA For Life” poster, cell phone wallpapers and ring tones, as well as a 60 th anniversary commemorative watch. Proceeds benefit the General Scholarship Fund, which is divided equally among the 12 institutions. Currently, the fund raises money through ticket sales, CIAA corporate partners, and host city sponsors.

“This year we are giving fans a unique opportunity to embrace the spirit and pride of the CIAA tournament and bring it into their homes,” said Leon G. Kerry, CIAA Commissioner. “At the same time, we are in the fortunate position of offering fans the opportunity to support the education offered by CIAA member institutions. After all, education is why we are here.”

The poster is a reproduction of a painting by 1994 CIAA graduate David Wilson specifically for the 2005 CIAA Basketball Tournament. The painting embraces the “CIAA For Life” motto with brightly colored imagery of basketball players, marching band members, cheerleaders, Miss CIAA, and fans - life at the CIAA Tournament. The first 250 posters are limited editions which are numbered and signed by David Wilson. They measure 20 by 29 inches and are priced at $35.00 with shipping and handling included.

Also available at the CIAA Web site is a ring tone of what is commonly known as the African American National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The rings are portions of the a capella version that was sung prior to the tip-off of the 2004 CIAA Men's Championship game.

Cell phone wallpapers depicting the logo of each CIAA school are available for purchase at the CIAA Web site. 2Thumbz Entertainment created the graphics that can be downloaded and displayed on cell phone screens. Fans, students, and alumni can choose a favorite team and show support by sporting the team’s logo outside the home or they can show their CIAA pride by downloading the "CIAA For Life" logo.

Also, CIAA supporters will know exactly when it's game-time by purchasing a commemorative watch. The watch was constructed to celebrate 60 years of success with the CIAA basketball tournament. The watch is a perfect gift for CIAA fans this holiday season.

Along with the memorabilia, the CIAA will show its pride and talent with parties, step shows, fashion shows, a battle of the bands, a chancellors forum on education, the Miss CIAA competition, and more events. The 60 th annual basketball tournament will be held at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina for the 6 th consecutive year from February 28 to March 5, 2005.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) was founded in 1912 as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The CIAA is based in Hampton, Virginia, and is America’s oldest black college conference. The CIAA is made up of 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) situated along the Eastern Seaboard.

For more information or to purchase CIAA memorabilia, visit www.ciaa2005.com.