ZOOperstars and Trading Card Giveaway this weekend

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Bakersfield Condors, ECHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, return home to the Mercy and Memorial Hospitals Home Ice at Rabobank Arena this weekend with two key games against the Stockton Thunder. The ZOOperstars make their return to Condorstown on Friday night, a 7 p.m. start, and Saturday’s game features Trading Card Giveaway and a special noon face off.

Friday, Feb. 25
The weekend commences with not only a big match against Stockton, who sit one spot above the Condors in the Pacific Division standings, but with the return of a true Condorstown favorite, the ZOOperstars! These 10-foot tall inflated animal mascots are based on famous sports stars, and they perform a routine at center ice and also roam the stands wreaking havoc.

This season includes several new characters to appear in Bakersfield – Squidney Crosby (right), Manatee Ramirez and Nolan Rhino – as well as Whale Gretzky, Tiger Woodschuck and LeBronco James, who have performed here in the past. The ZOOperstars appear courtesy of ABC23, 101.5 KGFM and Mercy & Memorial Hospitals. Doors open at 6 p.m., the puck drops at 7 p.m.

Friday is also a Classroom Champions Night, rewarding students at participating schools for their outstanding attendance levels with free Condors tickets. Parents with children who have a free Classroom Champs voucher may purchase two additional tickets for just $7 to accompany them. The program is sponsored by ABC23, SC Architect and Kern County Firefighters.

Also on Friday, Valley Schools will cap off their annual fundraiser with the Condors by having their students sign the National Anthem. Later in the first intermission, there will be a check presentation for their efforts in raising over $2,500 for their organization through the Condors.

Saturday, Feb. 26
The Thunder stay in town for the season series finale Saturday at noon. The doors open at 11 a.m. for Fellowship Day and Condors Trading Card Giveaway, sponsored by 29 Eyewitness News, KERI 1410AM, DMW Industries and the Bakersfield Jr. Condors. The first 3,000 fans through the turnstiles will receive card set #4, featuring Condors RW Stephane Goulet, F Bobby Robins, and a special collection of Condorstown visitors: Kobayashi, Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis, actor Kevin Connolly, and the Stanley Cup.

Saturday is also one of the final Condors Kids Club games of the season. All members of the Condors Kids Club receive admission to six select games in addition to an assortment of gifts and admission to the annual Meet the Team Party (coming up March 7). The Kids Club is sponsored by Bright House Networks, the Bakersfield Californian and Wells Fargo, and with two remaining games on the schedule, as well as the prizes and upcoming party, the Kids Club is still a fantastic deal at only $20! Call the Condors at 324-PUCK(7825) for more info.

Autograph Booth:
Following every home game, players will be available at the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center Autograph Booth, located on the arena concourse behind section 108. The schedule for the week includes RW Stephane Goulet and F Tibor Varga on Friday and F Slava Trukhno and D Phil Paquet on Saturday. Players will be available approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of each contest to greet fans and sign autographs.

Broadcast info:
The Condors are on the road against Stockton tonight, with a 7 p.m. face off. The season series has been split so far, with the home team winning each of the previous eight meetings.

All three games this week can be heard live on on www.foxsports970am.com. You can also listen on your smartphone or iPod by downloading the iheartradio app. All the games feature streaming live video online through America One. Saturday’s game can also be heard over terrestrial airwaves on Fox Sports Radio 970AM, and also televised live on Bright House Networks, ch. 21 (and will be subsequently be available on Bakersfield On Demand, ch. 300 starting the following day).

Get Tickets:
Group tickets are a great way to add to your Condors experience! All you need is 20 family, friends and coworkers to get discounted tickets starting at just $7. Groups get a P.A. Announcement as well as prizes for each group. All members of Lower Level groups also get a Condors hat.

Individual tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Rabobank Arena Box Office. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, with extended hours on game and event days. You can also call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or visit them online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket packages start at just $28! Call the Condors office at 324-PUCK(7825) or go online to www.bakersfieldcondors.com for more information.