30 Feet of Solid Steel to be swallowed at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museums Worldwide

At 2:28pm on February 28, 2009, Sword Swallowers around the world will attempt to swallow over 360 inches of steel swords at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museums worldwide for International Sword Swallowers Awareness Day. That’s over 30 feet of solid steel! Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) President Dan Meyer proclaimed the third annual “International Sword Swallowers Awareness Day” to raise awareness of sword swallowers around the world.

The day is co-sponsored by Ripley Entertainment, who together with SSAI, is inviting SSAI member sword swallowers to put on sword swallowing demonstrations at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! locations around the world. Sword Swallowers Tim Robbins, Lady Aye and Donny Vomit will perform at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square location this coming Saturday.

Why do sword swallowers need a day of awareness? “We sword swallowers risk our lives every time we swallow a sword, but many people don't believe it’s real, or they think the art has died out," explains Meyer, a sword swallower and Ripley’s Believe It or Not himself. "SSAI established this day to promote this ancient art that is still being carried on by a few dozen surviving practitioners, to honor veteran performers, to raise awareness of the medical contributions sword swallowers have made to the fields of medicine and science, to correct misconceptions and educate the public and medical professionals by putting on demonstrations for medical facilities and the media around the world.”

Why is Ripley’s co-sponsoring the day? “Because it’s great entertainment,” said Tim O’Brien, VP of Communications for Ripley Entertainment Inc. “Sword swallowers and Ripley’s go way back to the very first Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium, set up at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933. There, three performers, two of which were ladies, mesmerized huge crowds. Ripley’s has been home to sword swallowers around the world ever since.”

On February 28th sword swallowers will perform worldwide, with some attempting to set individual or small group records, while others will perform at Ripley’s Believe It or Not locations around the world. "Normally most of us perform alone," Meyer says. "By SSAI hosting ‘International Sword Swallower's Day’, it gives us a chance to all work together to be part of something much bigger, and performing at Ripley’s Odditoriums helps bring us all together."

On February 28th, SSAI sword swallowers will perform at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditoriums in Ocean City MD, Hollywood CA, Orlando FL, Gatlinburg TN, Niagara Falls, New York City, and London, England. Highlights at Ripley’s locations will include performances by SSAI’s President Dan Meyer in London, the world’s tallest sword swallower, George the Giant in Hollywood, the world’s youngest sword swallower, Erik Kloeker and with his brother Travis Fessler in Gatlinburg, and the largest gathering ever of female sword swallowers in New York City. All Ripley’s performances will take place on 2/28/09 at precisely 2:28:09pm local time. At the end of the day, sword swallowers will submit reports of their activities to SSAI for review and to be submitted for consideration as a possible “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” cartoon.

“It’s a huge honor for us to carry on the great tradition of sword swallowers who have performed at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museums over the years,” Meyer explains. “In light of this, SSAI is sending an open invitation to all sword swallowers worldwide to contact us and join us in swallowing swords at Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums and other locations on the 28th!"

To celebrate February as “National Swallowing Disorders Month”, sword swallowers not able to make it to a nearby Ripley’s Believe It or Not! location are invited to perform at local medical facilities to help raise awareness of esophageal cancer, dysphasia, GERD, and other upper gastro-intestinal and swallowing disorders. Since some sword swallowers perform charitable work for the medical community, SSAI is encouraging sword swallowers to put on demonstrations at medical facilities throughout the day. Sword swallowers will also perform at hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages for those who would otherwise have difficulty getting to theaters to see live performances. “Sword swallowers who participate in these activities find them rewarding,” explains Meyer. “On February 28th, many people will have the opportunity to see sword swallowing first-hand who would otherwise not have a chance to witness it."

“Many of us have been entertaining for years, and we love our work,” explains Meyer. “‘Sword Swallowers Day’ is a great opportunity for us to show the medical community and the rest of the world what we really do, and performing at Ripley’s locations helps us get the word out!”

The art of sword swallowing began over 4000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. With the demise of the traveling circus sideshow over the past several decades, there are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the art of sword swallowing around the world today.

About Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square

Situated in the heart of Times Square in Manhattan, New York, Ripley's Believe It or Not! offers visitors the ultimate insight into the world of the odd and bizarre. Hundreds of weird and unusual artifacts are displayed in more than 20 themed galleries spanning two floors. Whether examining a six-legged cow, a lock of Elvis' hair, 24 shrunken heads (the most on public display anywhere on the planet), a section of the Berlin wall, or a life-size albino giraffe, the amazing Ripley's Believe It or Not! collection proves that fact is indeed stranger than fiction. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square (www.ripleysnewyork.com) is located at 234 West 42nd Street and is open daily 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Call 212-398-3133.

About Ripley Entertainment

Ripley Entertainment, Inc. (http://www.ripleys.com/) is a leading global attractions company with annual attendance of more than 13 million. In addition to its 60-plus attractions, the Orlando-based company has publishing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley's Believe It or Not! that still runs daily in 200 newspapers in 42 countries. There are now 30 Ripley's Believe It or Not!® odditoriums (including NYC) in operation with another to open in late 2007 in India. The unique attractions feature exhibits that one must see to believe - exhibits that are so bizarre, so odd, so strange, that even the most worldly and knowledgeable guests will be awestruck.

About The Sword Swallowers Association International

The Sword Swallowers Association International was founded in 2001 to preserve and promote the ancient art of sword swallowing, is comprised of sword swallowers from around the world and maintains a site with general information on sword swallowing for the general public at www.swordswallow.com.

For additional information, please contact:

Madalena Phillips, Ripley’s Times Square (212) 398-3133, madalena@ripleysnewyork.com