The first ever First Night® Portsmouth Community Raffle!

An initiative of our supporters from the Hilton Garden Inn/Downtown Portsmouth & The Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth, a $10 raffle ticket gives you the chance to win one of two great First Night® Prize Packs at the hotels - as well as show your Community spirit for Pro Portsmouth, producers of First Night® Portsmouth!

The prize Pack includes: overnight accommodations for four on December 31st, free First Night® Buttons and Breakfast - one Prize at the Hilton, one at the Sheraton. Read the Press Release below for more information.

Winners will be announced on the 21st.

HOTELS HELP PRO PORTSMOUTH LIGHT UP THE SKIES ON FIRST NIGHT

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Portsmouth Sheraton and Hilton Garden Inn provide funds for fireworks; rooms for fundraiser

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., November 29,, 2007 - Pro Portsmouth announced today that it has received contributions with a total value of $15,000 from two local hotels, the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside and the Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown to support Portsmouth First Night.   The hotels has donated $5,000 each to pay for a New Years Eve fireworks display.  Additionally, the hotels will also sponsor a community raffle with two prize winners that is expected to raise another $5,000 for First Night.  The prize winners will receive First Night accommodations at the sponsoring hotels, First Night buttons, and breakfast on New Years Day.

            The announcement of the hotels' contributions was made outside the historic North Church and was attended by Barbara Massar, Executive Director of Pro Portsmouth; Shari Young, Vice President and General Manager of the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside; Shaun McEachern, General Manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown; and Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand, who was on hand to buy the first raffle ticket.

"I was happy to buy the first ticket and support this cause," said Mayor Marchand, "The generosity of these two hotels is incredible and I hope that others in the community will follow suit and support the raffle.  First Night is a signature day for our city and it works so well because of hard work of Pro Portsmouth and the generosity of businesses and individuals."

            A total of 500 raffle tickets will be sold for $10 each with proceeds benefiting Pro Portsmouth.  A drawing will take place on December 21, 2007 and the winners will be notified.  Raffle tickets will be available at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside, 250 Market Street; the Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown, 100 High Street; the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, 500 Market Street ; and Good Vibes, 16 Congress Street.

"The Sheraton Portsmouth has a long history of supporting Pro Portsmouth's First Night celebration and fireworks," said Shari Young, Vice President of the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel. "We are especially excited about this year's collaboration and hope it will inspire other downtown businesses to partner together to support this event which attracts families from Portsmouth and across the state.  We feel great knowing we help to make this experience possible."

Since 1986, with the exception of December 2002, Pro Portsmouth has produced a festive, New Year's celebration in Portsmouth Highlights typically include a Fireworks Display (7:30pm), Ice Sculpture in the Square, a Street Dance on Pleasant, and lots of great local/regional music and dance performances - all included with the purchase on a FNP Button.

"Last year was the Hilton's inaugural First Night and we were thrilled to be able to save the fireworks show for the evening.  As a long-time resident of Portsmouth, I knew immediately that the fireworks had to go on." added Shaun McEachern, General Manager of the Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown.  "We are very excited to be co-sponsoring the event with the Sheraton this year."

About Pro Portsmouth

Pro Portsmouth, Inc. is a 501c (3) organization serving the Seacoast area. Its Mission is to promote the arts, culture, history and community of the region through such events as Children's Day, Market Square Day Festival & 10K Road Race, Summer in the Street and First Night® Portsmouth.