‘Escape to the Wild’ marathon honors American workers on Labor Day

TV series shows union members on hunting and fishing “fantasy trips of a lifetime”

STAMFORD, Conn. (August 21, 2007) — As a tribute to the American worker and sportsman and sportswoman, TV sports network VERSUS will air an Escape to the Wild marathon on Labor Day, Monday, September 3, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Escape to the Wild is a groundbreaking original series in which VERSUS, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), and sponsoring unions and contractor associations honor the hard-working American outdoorsman by giving a member of an AFL-CIO affiliated union the hunting or fishing fantasy trip of a lifetime. From fishing for Marlin in Cabo San Lucas to hunting big game in South Africa, this series makes ordinary sportsmen’s extraordinary dreams come true.

The marathon will feature Escape to the Wild episodes from season one with lucky union winners traveling to Africa’s exotic plains, the Great White North, the rugged Rocky Mountains, tropical ocean waters, the endless fields of the Great Plains and other incredible locations to fulfill their dreams. As each surprise unfolds, viewers get a glimpse into the life of the winner, like Rocky Raimondi, a firefighter who lost union brothers and friends in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center; Todd Heustis, a sheet metal worker who hunts on the same land his great-grandfather homesteaded in the 1920s; and John Demers, an electrical lineman who got his first hunting experience as a kid through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Episodes Airing September 3 include (subject to change):

Cabo San Lucas Marlin
One of New York’s bravest, a New York City IAFF firefighter, is surprised with his fishing trip of a lifetime and is taken to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as he fulfills his life-long dream to catch a marlin or three. But, there’s another surprise awaiting him when he gets to Mexico.

South Africa-Plains Game
One deserving IBEW electrical worker travels from the Deep South half-way across the globe to the Dark Continent for some world-class hunting. He goes on a safari along the plains of Africa, stalking the top plains game: impala, zebra, warthog, duiker and wildebeest.

Idaho Falls-Trout
In this episode, a humble UA pipefitter from his home in the rolling country hills of Pennsylvania travels to the majestic Rocky Mountains for non-stop fly fishing action. He’ll stay at the world-famous, Rockefeller-owned South Fork Lodge and have fishing days full of rainbow, cutthroat and hybrid trout.

Ontario Moose
A SMWIA sheet metal worker by day, dedicated family man at night, and an avid big game weekend hunter in Colorado, he’s always dreamed of being able to escape to the Great North for a spectacular moose hunt.

Quebec Caribou
An IAMAW machinist will fulfill his lifelong dream of hunting Canadian caribou in the vast tundra of Quebec. He is surprised in a Boeing factory in Seattle and taken away on this caribou-packed wild escape.

Colorado Elk
For most big game hunters, Rocky Mountain elk is on the top of their “dream hunt” list. Yet money and time often keep sportsman from attaining this wild escape. This episode features a BAC bricklayer on an unforgettable bull elk hunt in the snow-dusted Colorado Rocky Mountains.

South Dakota Pheasant
This episode features a journey to the heartland to take an honorable member from the Painters Union (IUPAT) for some classic, fast-flying quail action in the golden fields of South Dakota.

Saskatchewan Whitetail
Many American whitetail hunters are limited to small buck choices on crowded public lands. But one union ironworker goes on the trip of a lifetime to take a monster buck in the legendary woods of Saskatchewan.

Alberta Ducks and Geese
Every year, American waterfowl hunters dream of hitting the big migration as tens of thousands of ducks and geese funnel south through the skies of Alberta. In this episode, an IAFF firefighter and avid waterfowler goes on a classic duck and goose hunt.

Texas Whitetail
One of the best destinations for big whitetail bucks is in the heart of Texas on amazing private ranches. An IBEW electrical worker finds out first-hand that everything in Texas is bigger—especially the whitetails.

VERSUS (VERSUS.com) celebrates real competition in all its forms. Now in more than 72 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events like The Tour de France, the America’s Cup, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), Professional Boxing, the Boston Marathon and Davis Cup. The network also offers collegiate sports from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West.

VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive competitive events that audiences can’t find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

Source: TRCP’s Union Sportsmen’s Alliance