Ice Center Named Kraft Hockeyville Finalist

WICHITA, Kan. (August 17) - Kraft Heinz, along with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), announced last night the top four finalists competing to become Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020 and the Wichita Ice Center has been chosen as one of them.

The Wichita Ice Center will battle it out with these other three communities, who have advanced to the public voting phase:

East Grand Forks Civic Center in East Grand Forks, MinnesotaEl Paso Event Center in El Paso, TexasWildcat Centre Arena in River Falls, Wisconsin

Each community will receive funds for rink upgrades from Kraft Heinz, with the winning community awarded $150,000 for rink improvements. The First Prize rink (runner-up) will receive $30,000 in rink upgrades while the Second Prize rinks will each receive $10,000 in rink upgrades. The NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund will also donate $10,000 worth of new hockey equipment to each of the four finalist communities. Further information on an NHL® Community Celebration for the Grand Prize Winner will be determined at a later date.

"This year's compelling stories from some of America's hockey communities were some of the best we've seen to date," said Magen Hanrahan, vice president of media and marketing services at Kraft Heinz. "We're excited to watch the country virtually rally around the top four finalists and inspire more local communities as much as the top four have inspired our judges."

The live voting schedule is as follows:

Round 1 (August 16 - August 29): Upon announcement of the top four finalists, communities and their supporters nationwide will virtually rally together at KraftHockeyville.com in preparation for the live voting event. Communities are encouraged to use their digital power to gain support for their community's nomination.

Round 2 (August 29 at 7 a.m. ET - August 30 at 11 a.m. ET): For 28 hours, communities and fans around the country will compete at krafthockeyville.com to cast an unlimited number of votes for their favorite rinks that embody the spirit of the contest. The community with the most cumulative votes, subject to final Sponsor determination, will be crowned Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020.

Round 3 (August 30) - The winner of Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020 will be announced and be awarded the Grand Prize of $150,000 in rink upgrades from Kraft Heinz. The First Prize (runner-up) rink will receive $30,000 toward rink upgrades while the Second Prize rinks will each receive $10,000. Further information on an NHL® Community Celebration for the Grand Prize Winner will be determined at a later date.

In addition to voting for the next Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020, under the Kraft Hockeyville™ 2020 Sweepstakes, one lucky fan will be awarded $5,000 in cash. From August 16 through August 30 at 11 a.m. ET, fans can register for the sweepstakes online at krafthockeyville.com and enter for their chance to win. Additionally, each vote cast during the live voting event equals one entry into the sweepstakes.

For complete contest rules, voting information, and program details, visit krafthockeyville.com.

-Thunder-