Colonial Win BB&T Classic –
Upset #11 MSU and #12 Terrapins

By Alex Chip

In a torrid month of professional sports which has seen Major League Baseball’s image tainted and the NBA’s bloodied, this weekend’s 10th annual BB&T Classic served as a breath of much needed fresh air. Four teams, three of them local, met up over the two day tournament and provided fans with passionate competition, not for dollars or for records but instead for charity. Pure and intense basketball, played the right way, for a good cause. And when you factor in the performance of the George Washington Colonials, the local underdog who toppled two nationally ranked giants to take home the trophy, this year’s Classic will be remembered as, well, a classic.
Founded in 1994, the Children’s Charities Foundation has raised more than $6 million primarily through an annual spring golf event, a black tie "BasketBall" Gala, and the BB&T Classic. This year’s Gala was held Friday night and was attended by coaches from the four tournament teams, as well as some of Washington’s most prominent business leaders, political figures, and sports heroes. Partygoers flocked to the Marriot Wardman Park Hotel to shmooze with the social elite of the city, "shake" their "booties" to the live tunes of KC and the Sunshine Band, and talk X’s and O’s with coaches from some of the top NCAA basketball programs in the nation. Best of all, amidst the clinking of martini glasses and bad dancing to good music the real winners turn out to be the underprivileged children who benefit from the ticket sales.
The glitz and glamour of Friday night gave way to a much grittier and sweat soaked Saturday as the BB&T Classic tipped off at MCI Center. #12 Maryland ran all over George Mason in the first game, 78-54, much to the dismay of a small but vocal group of fans drenched in bright green and yellow. The afternoon game featured #9 Michigan State, fresh off a tough loss at Duke, against the George Washington Colonials. The surprising Colonials outworked and out hustled the Spartans, earning a 96-83 upset. The stage was set for Sunday’s championship game, a match-up of local powerhouse vs. local overachieving underdog. Certainly the Colonials’ glass slipper would crack under the pressure of the Maryland Terrapins’ marauding defense.
Michigan State defeated George Mason in the consolation game, 66-60, to salvage something from a tough week. The title game between George Washington and Maryland drew an energized crowd, though it wasn’t the sexy Michigan State-Maryland match-up most had anticipated. George Washington shocked and delighted fans for the second straight day by upsetting #12 Maryland, 101-92, and taking the trophy. What the Colonials lacked in national appeal they more than made up for with intensity. Most impressively, they didn’t play like a wild underdog with nothing to lose, but rather a veteran team with the confidence and control to win.
As the dreaded Monday looms and the tuxedoes are put away, as the Colonials celebrate their wild weekend and the Spartans limp back to Lansing, the staff of the Children’s Charities Foundation can finally sit back and relax for a moment. All of the work that went into the beautiful Gala and the exciting tournament has paid off. The fans have gone home happy, George Washington University has earned its trophy and a national eyebrow raise, and most importantly the success of this classic BB&T Classic will, for the tenth straight year, benefit those D.C. area children who need it most.

Downtown Rules

Bowling Strikes Downtown
According to a recent report in the Washington Business Journal, Lucky Strike Entertainment has signed a letter of intent to open a 22,000-square-foot upscale bowling alley, restaurant and lounge called Lucky Strike Lanes at Gallery Place. The facility will have 18 bowling lanes and could open as early as spring 2005. The owners were founders of Jillian's Entertainment, but left that company in 2002. It's uncertain whether Lucky Strike will move into the 60,000-square-foot space that Jillian's was slated to occupy at Gallery Place until the deal fell through. The Lucky Strike Company operates Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood and Orange, Ca.; Boston, Mass.; Louisville, Ky.; Denver, Colo.; and a suburb of Toronto, Canada. It plans to other bowling venues in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa.; St. Louis, Mo.; Chicago; San Jose, Calif.; Lakewood, Colo., and a suburb of Detroit.
Downtown Tourism Rules
At the Washington, DC Marketing Center's Development Showcase last month, Downtown establishments walked away with the lion's share of awards for best in hospitality and tourism. And the winners were: Most Catalytic Hospitality/Tourism Project: Washington Convention Center; Best New Museum: International Spy Museum; Best New Hotel: Hotel Monaco (Sofitel received an Honorable Mention); Best New Restaurant: Ceiba (Zola received an Honorable Mention) and Best Special Event/Exhibit: National Cherry Blossom Festival . Congratulations to all for making Downtown shine!
Downtown Hotels are Hopping
We continue to hear good news from hoteliers in the Downtown Business Improvement District. Smith Travel Research reports year-to-date (nine month) totals as follows:
Occupancy: 75.2% (second only to 2000's 76.7%)
Avg Room Rate: $169.11 per night (best ever)
Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR): $127.13 (best ever)
Total Room Revenues: $323.8 million (best ever--an increase of 11% over 2000, due to better RevPAR and the additions of the Monaco and Sofitel)
Third Quarter results:
Occupancy: 71.5% (while slightly below 2003 -- 074.9% and 2000 -- 76.7%, we now have more rooms; the Madison was closed in 2003)
Avg Room Rate: $157.87 (best ever compared to 2003 at $141.73 and 2000 at $150.83)
RevPAR: $112.79 compared to 2003 at $106.18 and 2000 at $115.69)
Total Room Revenues: approximately $97 million in 3Q 2004 (best ever) versus $95 million in  3Q 2000 and $88 million in 3Q 2003.
Compared to the rest of DC, the Downtown BID continues to outperform by 7% to 10% on Occupancy, Average Room Rate and RevPAR with 9,330 rooms versus 16,895 rooms outside the BID elsewhere in DC.
Tis the Season
The Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association will hold its 11th Annual Holiday Gala on Monday, Dec. 20 in the National Building Museum Great Hall. Invitations will go out following the Thanksgiving holiday. Volunteers are needed and should you wish to do so, contact Jo-Ann Neuhaus at pennquarter@ncpc.gov.
Candlelight Vigil for Kids
Join thousands of concerned citizens and elected leaders throughout the metropolitan area and across the nation in proclaiming a Day of Hope for Children and Youth at the Candlelight Vigil for Kids, Thursday, Dec. 9, 5 pm in Freedom Plaza, located on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the National Theatre. The event is hosted by Covenant House Washington in conjunction with the international Covenant House organization. The vigil is conducted simultaneously in 21 cities in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. With the theme, Hope IS ACTION, you can show your concern this holiday season by offering a gift of hope -- share of your time and resources to help a youth in crisis. For more information, call 202-610-9600.

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