Bald Eagle License Plate Approved by Tennessee Legislature; Portion of Proceeds to Benefit American Eagle Foundation

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn., Sept. 10 -- The non-profit American Eagle Foundation (AEF), headquartered at Dollywood, announced today approval of Tennessee State legislation (Bill No. 1303) for the development of a vehicle license plate honoring the Bald Eagle, our nation's Freedom symbol. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the new plate will benefit the AEF.

The special plate will feature the image of Challenger, Tennessee's nationally famous Bald Eagle that has flown during the National Anthem at numerous major league baseball and football games, including the World Series and Pro Bowl. Challenger is the first Bald Eagle in U.S. history trained to free-fly at major sports stadiums and high-profile public events. The 15-year old bird is cared for by the AEF and used for educational purposes.

"We appreciate the State of Tennessee working with us to develop this special license plate," said Al Cecere, AEF President. "This is just one more way we can promote the cause of protecting the Bald Eagle and continue our efforts to increase its population in the wild."

Fifty percent of the proceeds from each eagle license plate sale will benefit the AEF. The specialty plate will cost $35; a personalized version is $70. Advance sales of 1,000 plates by the AEF are required before production and state-wide distribution in local county clerk offices can begin.

As a special offer, the AEF will give the first 500 plate buyers a signed and numbered limited edition eagle print valued at $100. One of the first 1,000 plate buyers will be chosen by the AEF to receive an educational visit by Challenger, the Bald Eagle, to their home or business.

Tennessee wildlife/nature artist Spencer Williams, an AEF board member, has been commissioned to paint Challenger's image for the plate. Laprees Advertising & Design of Sevierville has created the graphic layout.

The plates can be ordered by visiting the AEF's WWW.EAGLES.ORG website or calling 865-429-0157.

The non-profit American Eagle Foundation is federally licensed to provide care to more than 65 birds of prey daily, including about 35 eagles. These birds are non-releasable due to permanent physical disabilities or accidental imprinting on humans. Many of the non-releasable eagles residing at the Foundation's facility have successfully reproduced while in captivity. The organization operates the world's largest Bald Eagle breeding facility and has released dozens of captive-hatched eaglets into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains area. They have also been a party to releasing hundreds of other eaglets into the wilds of Tennessee in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The AEF supports numerous public education and eagle recovery and protection projects in various states.

For more information contact Al Cecere at 865-429-0157 (office), 865-256-0372 (cellular), eaglemail@eagles.org or Pete Owens, Dollywood Public Relations Manager at: 865-428-9486.

To download photo on-line from a "jpg" file at 200 dpi (6 inches tall), go to the following URL: http://www.nestingeagles.com/press .

Photo Caption:

Wildlife/nature artist Spencer Williams captures the majestic image of a patient, trained Bald Eagle named Challenger for a new State of Tennessee eagle license plate benefiting the nation's Freedom symbol and the non-profit American Eagle Foundation (AEF) headquartered at Dollywood. The specialty eagle plate will cost $35; $70 for a personalized version. The plates can be ordered by visiting the AEF's WWW.EAGLES.ORG website or calling 865-429-0157.

As a special offer, the AEF will give the first 500 plate buyers a free signed and numbered limited edition eagle print valued at $100. One of the first 1,000 plate buyers will be chosen by the AEF to receive an educational visit by Challenger, the Bald Eagle, to their home or business. Advance sales of 1,000 new plates are required before production and state-wide distribution in local county clerk offices can begin.

Photo by Al Cecere, American Eagle Foundation.