FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tickets to attend Star-Studded Gala with Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
available for purchase

BANFF, Alberta (December 22, 2009) – Legendary television actors and multiple Emmy Award winnnner Kelsey Grammer has joined the growing list of stars who will gather in Banff January 14-17, 2010 for The Fairmont Banff Springs Sports Invitational.

The spectacular event, which raises money for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Waterkeeper Alliance which protects North American waterways, will be co-hosted by Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor and this year’s OSCAR co-host Alec Baldwin, Academy-Award winning actress Marcia Gay Harden and Mr. Kennedy. For the first time WestJet Airlines will join Sunshine Village and The Fairmont Banff Springs as presenting sponsors.

Grammer, who made Frasier a household name while winning five Emmy Awards, will join dozens of stars skiing the spectacular Canadian Rocky Mountains at Sunshine Village Ski Resort and enjoying the luxurious hospitality of the majestic Fairmont Banff Springs.

Tickets – a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas present — remain available for the public to attend the Saturday night gala, which features a private concert by Lyle Lovett and His Large Band.

Founded in 1999 by Mr. Kennedy, the Waterkeeper Alliance is the world’s fastest growing environmental movement, with member organizations throughout North and South America, Europe and Australia, all dedicated to clean water.

Names of other participants will be announced as the event draws closer. The Fairmont Banff Springs Sports Invitational, which has raised millions of dollars for environmental protection in recent years, has in the past drawn such Hollywood A-list stars as Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Meg Ryan, Dan Aykroyd, Jason Priestley and Martin Sheen.

The stars will spend two action-packed days skiing and competing in fun events at the famous Sunshine Village. Activities including snowshoe toboggan relay race and a dual giant slalom race are well within public view to lift ticket purchasers.

Gala tickets for this year’s event are $500 CAD per person plus applicable taxes and the purchase of a Gold Table is $10,000 CAD plus applicable taxes. The purchase of a Gold Table accommodates eight guests and a celebrity and their companion for a total of 10 people. Tickets for this year’s invitational are available through The Fairmont Banff Springs by calling (403) 762-1720. There are also packages including accommodation.

*Celebrity appearances are subject to availability.

ABOUT SUNSHIE VILLAGE
With three mountains, five high-speed quads, a total of 12 lifts, a luxurious on-mountain hotel, and Canada’s best natural snow, Sunshine Village is recognized as one of North America’s premier snow resorts. Visit www.SkiBanff.com

ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a celebrated collection of distinctive hotels, which includes iconic landmarks like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City, Kenya’s Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, and London’s The Savoy, reopening later this year following an extensive restoration program. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travelers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont’s portfolio includes 56 world-class hotels, with plans to develop over 30 new properties in the coming years in destinations as diverse as Shanghai, The Philippines and India.

Fairmont is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 91 hotels worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties.

For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.

Media contact:
Lori Coté Crosbie Cotton
Regional Director of Public Relations Celebrity Media Coordinator
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Sunshine Village Ski Resort
Tel: 403.762.6885 Tel: 403.923.8873
E-mail: lori.cote@fairmont.com E-mail: ccotton203@aol.com