Sports Illustrated Kids Teams Up to Celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest at Major League Spring Training a

Glen Ridge, NJ (PRWEB) March 2, 2008 -- Families attending the 5th Anniversary Edition of ESI's Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest will be able relive their memories over and over when they get their picture on the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS.

This season's tour will add a number of major league Spring Training sites in addition to 45 minor league ballparks. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS joins the tour as a national media partner and will support the event with a full page in the May issue hitting newsstands on April 7, 2008.

"The Principal Family Fun Fest, sponsored by ESI, is the perfect vehicle to reach families of sports fans which is our core target audience," said Scott Hendrickson, VP Ad Sales and Marketing. The Principal Family Fun Fest, created and produced by Entertainment and Sports International, is the country's first and most extensive traveling baseball festival in history. The tour visits over 50 different ballparks on game days each season and has been attended by over 1.2 million fans. Baseball great Nolan Ryan serves as National Spokesperson and The Principal Financial Group continues as exclusive title sponsor. Open three hours before the game and set up right outside the main stadium gates, the event is free to all fans and features 5,000 square feet of over 20 baseball themed attractions including a minor league baseball museum featuring exclusive video from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the exciting Xbox 360/Best Buy Home Run Derby video game trailer, and Days Inn baseball cards, a midway with batting and pitching cages, giant slides, bounce houses, carnival games, bungee runs, and a special "Rookie Zone" for younger fans.

"The minor leagues offer fans a great baseball experience," says Nolan Ryan, "From exceptional value to a safe, family environment; fans get to see competitive professional baseball with non-stop entertainment. The Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest extends that excitement before the game with an event truly unique to minor league ballparks."

The 2008 tour will launch on March 1 at the Florida Marlins Spring Training site in Jupiter, FL. and continue throughout the season for a total of 52 appearances, with the final event on August 29 at New Jersey's Lakewood BlueClaws. For more information about the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest, go to: www.principal.com/funfest.

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