Food Lion Announces 2012 CIAA Tournament Week Activities

SALISBURY, N.C., Feb. 27, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Food Lion announced today its continued support of the 100th Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament by sponsoring several events, including the women's tournament, a health and wellness symposium, Miss CIAA Pageant and Taste of Food Lion event hosted by Celebrity Chefs, "The Neelys." All events will be held Feb. 28 through March 4 in Charlotte, N.C.

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"Food Lion is honored to be a part of the CIAA's centennial celebration," said Eric Watson, vice president of diversity and inclusion for Delhaize America. "Our 18-year partnership with the CIAA is a strategic alliance that supports our commitment to education, men's and women's athletics, and diversity and inclusion. During the tournament, our company offers a number of events focused on education, and health and wellness programs to attendees. We look forward to an exciting tournament this year."

As a corporate CIAA partner, Food Lion will again serve as the title sponsor for the 2012 Food Lion CIAA Women's Basketball Tournament, which begins Tuesday, Feb. 28 and concludes Saturday, March 3 at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

In addition, Food Lion is sponsoring many family-friendly activities, including:

• Food Lion Health & Wellness Symposium:  This three-day event at the Time Warner Cable Arena starts Thursday, March 1 and ends Saturday, March 3. CIAA fans will have the opportunity to attend a Teen Summit, women's education and fitness symposium, receive health and wellness information, as well as participate in various fun activities such as dance contests. Attendees also can view computer-generated photos of how they will look in 25 years.
• Food Lion Day at the CIAA: Food Lion invites its customers and fans to participate in Food Lion Day at the CIAA on Friday, March 2 at the Time Warner Cable Arena. The all-day event will feature interactive games, premium giveaways, Food Lion's CIAA Scholarship check presentation, and each fan attending will receive a free Food Lion T-shirt.
• See Celebrity Chefs, "The Neelys": Celebrity Chefs Pat and Gina Neely will perform live on "The Taste of Food Lion Stage" Saturday, March 3 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The free event will be held at the CIAA Fan Experience located at the Charlotte Convention Center.
• Food Lion Miss CIAA Pageant: Twelve women representing each of the 12 CIAA schools will compete for the title of 2012 Miss CIAA Saturday, March 3 at 10 a.m. inside the Time Warner Cable Arena. The event is free.
• Food Lion/Coke Zero Scholarship: Fans attending the CIAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship game on Saturday, March 3 at 7 p.m. will watch three Food Lion customers receive scholarships for participating in a recent sweepstakes. There will be a $20,000 grand prize scholarship winner, and first and second runner-up winners will receive $10,000 and $5,000 scholarships, respectively.

All events are free, excluding the basketball tournament games. For more information about Food Lion sponsored activities during this year's tournament, go to www.foodlion.com/Promotions

About Food Lion

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., is a subsidiary of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG) and operates more than 1,100 supermarkets. The company employs approximately 57,000 associates delivering quality products, low prices and service to customers in 10 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.

SOURCE Food Lion