Fundraising for first night rides on Banshee surpasses $50,000

KINGS ISLAND, Ohio – The thrill of being among the first night riders on the new record-breaking Banshee roller coaster will have a whole new meaning April 17, when Kings island hosts “Scream for A Kid Again” to raise money for the Greater Cincinnati chapter of A Kid Again, a non-profit organization which strives to enrich the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families by providing healing times of respite through fun-filled group activities and destination events.

Kings Island fans and roller coaster enthusiasts alike will enjoy a night filled with riding the world’s longest inverted roller coaster over and over again from 9:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. All participants will have raised a minimum of $100 for A Kid Again to take part and will receive complimentary admission to Kings Island, a certificate of participation, a Scream for A Kid Again event t-shirt, food and unlimited rides on Banshee. Plaques will be awarded to the top five fundraisers.

As of Thursday, more than $50,000 has been raised...

By participants from 16 different states and sponsor donations by Montgomery Inn, R.E. Middleton Construction, Skyline Chili, Swibco, Ukrop’s Dress Express, The Toy Factory, Baynum Painting, Advantage Tent, Dickerson Distributors, Ashlee Fence Enterprises, Trident, Inc., and Aire-Master.

Individuals interested in participating in the event can register at visitkingsisland.com/screamforakidagain.

The 4,124-foot long Banshee makes its public debut April 18, when Kings Island opens for the 2014 season.

With seven stomach-churning inversions, Banshee will also set another inverted roller coaster record.

Designed exclusively for Kings island by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, Banshee features the following succession of breath-taking thrills: a 167-foot lift hill, 150-foot curved first drop, a dive loop, a vertical loop encircling the lift hill, a zero-gravity-roll, a pair of batwing inversions, outside loop, spiral, in-line roll and carousel, all at speeds up to 68 miles per hour.

Banshee is themed to a wailing mythological messenger from the underworld with flowing white hair and gleaming eyes. Textured lighting and other lighting effects will bring the Banshee legend to reality, creating the ultimate night ride experience.

Kings Island is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FUN.” In addition to Kings Island, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, three outdoor water parks, an indoor water park, and five hotels. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, Calif. under a management contract.