GuitarManiaŽ miniatures arrive in local stores; Proceeds help United Way Services and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's education fund

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Ten-inch tall, perfectly detailed replicas of GuitarManiaŽ Fender StratocasterŽ guitars are being delivered and soon will be available for sale in nearly two dozen local retail establishments and other major gift store outlets around the country and the world for $24.95 to $30, depending on the intricacy of the design. A portion of every sale will help Greater Cleveland's United Way Services and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's education fund.

In addition to local retailers, major accounts placing orders include American Greetings/Carlton Cards for placement in selected stores, F.Y.E. at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, KeyBank, Potter and Mellen, Inc. and Spencer Gifts. Ongoing updating of all local retailers and their locations is available on cleveland.com/guitarmania. The miniatures also are available online through fenderusa.com.

Ten of the 16 collectibles in the first of a limited edition series are from the original designs from GuitarMania, the United Way community art project with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum that culminated in a charity auction in 2002. The balance of the first collector edition series was created by Stanley Mouse, noted CD album artist from Los Angeles. A second series will be issued early next year.

The ceramic miniatures are being manufactured under a licensing agreement with King Features Syndicate, which represents GuitarMania for licensing. The exclusive Ohio distributor of the GuitarMania miniatures is Leyser & Associates, University Heights, Ohio. A California manufacturer working with King Features selects representatives in each state territory and in various countries to wholesale volume orders to retailers and corporations.

The manufacturer recommends guitar images for each series, including designs from the nearly 100 guitars in United Way Services' GuitarMania auction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum last November. Both United Way Services, who sponsored the project, and Fender, maker of Stratocaster guitars, are involved in the design approval process. GuitarMania's volunteer committee of Greater Cleveland artists approved all designs for GuitarMania and will do so for GuitarMania II Encore in 2004.

This June, United Way Services, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Fender Musical Instruments launched GuitarMania II Encore in 2004 with a charity auction planned for November of 2004. The announcement was made in concert with the naming of East Ninth Street to "Rock & Roll Blvd." New GuitarMania sponsorships are available through United Way Services.

For general information on GuitarMania II, or to order full-color, soft-bound coffee table books of nearly 100 original GuitarMania sculptures that include the collectors' edition guitars, please contact Michelle Carver, Special Events Manager, United Way Services, 216-436-2121. For sponsorship information, please contact David Shriber, GuitarMania project manager, 216-436-2247.