The U.S. Army and the Advertising + Public Relations (Ad+PR) program at Western Kentucky University are once again teaming up to sponsor Gameathon, a daylong video gaming tournament on WKU’s campus.

The idea: to use a gaming competition to show what the Army and the AD+PR program have to offer. Scheduled for Saturday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST in the Mass Media and Technology Hall, the event challenges top video game players from around the region to prove they have what it takes to be the very best.

The Army agreed to sponsor the second installment of Gameathon after success the first event in 2005. “We’re excited about joining forces with WKU to sponsor this event,” said Capt. Chuck E. Slagle III, commander of the Army Recruiting Company in Radcliff. “This is our second year as the title sponsor and we’re proud to be able to give young people a safe place to ‘get their game on’ and explore their future as well.”

Participants for Gameathon can register online at www.gameathon.org. Area high school students are welcome to compete at no cost. Participants will be able to choose one of four console video games to play competitively. The games include America’s Army, Halo 2, Project Gotham Racing and Madden NFL 2005.

New for this year is the Gameathon Expo. “EB Games, Gameplay and Rent-A-Center have teamed up to provide various game systems in the atrium of the Mass Media and Technology Hall,” said Cliff Shaluta, coordinator of the Ad+PR program. “This is a great opportunity to see, ask questions and play the Nintendo wii, the PS3 and the X-Box 360 game systems before you decide to buy.”

Other Gameathon sponsors include 103.7 FM The Point, The School of Journalism and Broadcasting, The Coupon Mint and the University Bookstore.

Participants will compete based on their game selection. Paired teams will play on one of the four competitor stations for each game. The four winners from the individual game tournaments will then compete in a mystery game round in front of a live audience in the auditorium of the Mass Media and Technology Hall. Prizes will be awarded to all four individual finalists, and the winner of the mystery game round will be declared the WKU Game Master and will win a new SONY PS3 game system.

The Ad+PR program is part of WKU’s award-winning School of Journalism and Broadcasting. With more than 300 majors, the Ad+PR program trains students in account services, print advertising, broadcast advertising, interactive advertising and public relations.

More information about the WKU Ad+PR program is available at http://www.wku.edu/Journalism or www.wkufusion.com.

For information, contact Cliff Shaluta at (270) 745-5833.