FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        CONTACT: Jef Tingley                     

May 14, 2009                                                                                                           469.235.6396 cell           

                                                                                                                                jef@tingleycomm.com                                                                                                                

NORTH TEXAS’ BUSINESS COMMUNITY GATHERS

FOR EFNT’S ‘SPIRIT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP’ EVENT

Jim Keyes, chairman and CEO of Blockbuster Inc., to join

Ring of Entrepreneurs at June 11 affair; Stedman Graham to moderate Q&A

DALLAS – More than 300 Dallas-area executives are expected to come together on Thursday, June 11th for the 8th Annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship celebration where Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes will be inducted into the Ring of Entrepreneurs. With the theme “Lights, Camera… Action in Philanthropy,” the invitation-only event will be hosted by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas (EFNT), a fund at Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT).

After a reception at 6 p.m., Keyes will participate in a Q&A session moderated by Stedman Graham, CEO of S. Graham & Associates, a Chicago-based corporate and educational marketing and consulting firm. Additionally, the North Star Award will be presented to Dallas-based Beryl for the example it has set for corporate community involvement. The event will be held at CFT headquarters, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane.

Keyes, who is the former president and CEO of 7-Eleven Corporation, founded Education Is Freedom (EIF), a nonprofit organization designed to eliminate the barriers to higher education and promote equality of opportunity in college attendance. Mr. Graham serves on the EIF board.

“Dallas was founded on an amazing combination of entrepreneurism and civic involvement,” said Pam Gerber, executive director of EFNT, “and this event is a celebration of that spirit – a spirit that continues to make an incredibly positive impact on our community.”

Keyes joins a prestigious group of leaders who have been inducted into the Ring of Entrepreneurs for their far-reaching commitment in philanthropy. Previous honorees include Ray Hunt, Craig Hall, Roger Staubach, T. Boone Pickens, and Charles and Sam Wyly.

Proceeds from the event’s silent auction will go to support EFNT, which leverages the resources of entrepreneurs and their companies to give back to their communities while they build their businesses and professional networks. Auction items include framed autographed posters from the movie Twilight (signed by its seven lead characters), the hit television series American Idol (signed by this year’s 30 finalists) and from the movie Gran Torino (signed by Clint Eastwood); a cocktail reception for 20 at The Capital Grille; six box tickets for the Dallas Mavericks (compliments of Bowne of Dallas); a special-edition PSP Game Unit with the games Gods of War, Rock Band and Metal Gear Solid 4, as well as two 26-week rental cards redeemable at Blockbuster; two free one-month lessons at the Paul Green School of Rock; a physical examination package at The Cooper Clinic;  dinner for four at COAST or Nicola’s in The Shops at Legacy; a $100 gift certificate for Screendoor and two Fall tickets to a show at the new Dallas Theatre Centre Wyly Theater (compliments of Billingsley Company); a Tower of Chocolate from NOKA Chocolates;  and a two-night stay at the aloft  Dallas Downtown. 

The event is supported by the Spirit of the Entrepreneur sponsor Hunt Investment Corporation; Platinum sponsors PricewaterhouseCoopers, Helios Capital, Trailblazer Capital and Sevin Rosen Funds; Gold sponsors Sam and Charles Wyly; Auction sponsorsTellligent and iWave; VIP Reception sponsor Wischmeyer Benefits Group; Silver sponsor BKD, LLP; Bronze sponsors Hughes Ventures, 2GO Software, vcfo, G & A Partners, MHT Partners, Billingsley Company/Lucy Billingsley, Kim Hall, CPA, Aperio Insights, Home Healthcare Network, Eric Hansen-Smith Barney, Venturity Financial Partners and Alcatel-Lucent.  In-kind donors include D CEO, GEORGE Catering, Preston Hollow Caterers, American Airlines, Padgett Printing, Studio Movie Grill, Goody Goody Liquor, Carter Malouf Private Jeweler, One Art Director, Gold Crown Valet Parking, J.H. Productions, JR’s Assurance, Noble Productions, Chris Henry Designs,TMS Ruge Photography, Jef Tingley Communications, Paciugo Gelato and TMS Ruge Photography.