Oak Ridge Military Academy

Annual Fund contributions are used to enhance ORMA’s programs. By donating to the Annual Fund, you help support our cadets with educational tools and materials as well as capital improvements. You can also make donations specific to a certain project, or contribute toward causes of significant interest to you. Our fiscal year ends on June 30th, so please consider a tax-deductible gift today. We’ll recognize donors in the summer issue of “The Oak Leaf.” The Annual Fund provides an opportunity for all of us to accept some responsibility for providing the best possible environment for our cadets. Together, we can ensure the Academy remains vibrant.

Your gift to the Annual Fund has an immediate impact on the education of each cadet. We invite you to participate in this year’s Annual Fund. Every gift makes a difference. Call Terrill Sandiford, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs at 336.643.4131, ext. 197 today and learn how you can help ORMA continue its tradition of excellence.

Thank you to every one who helped make the 2008 “Gold Star Affair – Silent and Live Auction” a great success. We’re still tallying everything up, but it looks pretty good in terms of money raised. So many people helped in various ways. I would like to name every one, but fear I’d accidentally leave some one off. You know who you are and I hope you know how much I appreciate your generosity, support and talent to help make this event as successful as possible.

Homecoming 2008 is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 10thand 11th. Celebrating reunions for the classes of: 2003, 1998, 1993, 1988, 1983, 1978, 1973, 1968, 1963, 1958, 1953, 1948, 1943, and 1938. Our alumni come back each year to renew old friendships, make new acquaintances and spend time reflecting on their time at The Ridge. If you are interested in serving on the Homecoming Planning Committee, please contact Terrill Sandiford at 336.643.4131, ext. 197 or via email at tsandiford@ormila.com

2008 Oak Leaf Magazine
The latest edition of the Oak Leaf Magazine was mailed 4/01/08. If you have not received your copy, please contact Terrill Sandiford. Next issue should be out in July.

Terrill M. Sandiford
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs
Oak Ridge Military Academy
(336) 643-4131, ext. 197 - office
(336) 314-1562 - mobile
(336) 643-1797 - fax
tsandiford@ormila.com
http://www.oakridgemilitary.com

New Series Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears on ESPN Goes Behind Scenes with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the focus of a new television series on ESPN, Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears, premiering prior to next month’s opening of the 2008 NASCAR season. The five-part series chronicles Earnhardt’s move from Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by his father, to Hendrick Motorsports, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The first episode airs Friday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The series provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal, corporate and competitive ramifications involved with the five-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award recipient changing teams. Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears is produced by Earnhardt Jr.’s Hammerhead Entertainment, a division of JR Motorsports, in cooperation with Hendrick Motorsports and is presented by the National Guard.

The new program is part of an exclusive, multimedia agreement between ESPN and Hammerhead Entertainment.

“We were working on a new DVD about my life and the guys kept getting more and more footage, so they decided to put a whole TV show together to document the biggest career decision I’ve ever made,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “The past year of my life has been a roller coaster, and it’s pretty cool that we’re giving everyone an inside look at how everything came together.”

Three of the five episodes of Shifting Gears air on ESPN2 in the nine days prior to the Daytona 500, including following ESPN2’s live coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying on Friday, Feb. 15, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 at Daytona on Saturday, Feb. 16. The final two episodes air on ESPN in prime time the week of the July 27 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, ESPN’s first live NASCAR Sprint Cup event of the season.

The pre-season episodes reveal never-before-seen footage from the 2007 press conferences and fan response to the announcements. Shifting Gears also chronicles the design process of the new paint schemes, the makings of Earnhardt Jr.’s Adidas fire suit and how the driver of the No. 88 Mountain Dew AMP/National Guard Chevrolet handles the pressure of working with new sponsors as he prepares for his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.

The final two episodes, each one hour in length, will catch up with Earnhardt Jr. and the Hendrick team as he chases his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.

“Dale Jr.’s move to Hendrick Motorsports is obviously one of the most intriguing storylines heading into the 2008 NASCAR season,” said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president, content. “This new series will not only help NASCAR fans gear up for the new season, but also will present a side of Dale Jr. that fans have never seen before.”

Previews and additional video from the show will be made available on ESPN.com Video and DaleJr.com starting next week and the full episodes will be made available shortly after they air on ESPN2 on ESPN MobileTV and ESPN.com Video.

The air schedule (all times Eastern):

Friday, Feb. 8 7-8 p.m.
ESPN2

Friday, Feb. 15 6:30-8 p.m.
ESPN2

Saturday, Feb. 16 4-5:30 p.m.
ESPN2

Thursday, July 24 7-8 p.m.
ESPN

Friday, July 25 7-8 p.m.
ESPN

Click here to view a trailer of Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

About NASCAR on ESPN:
ESPN and ESPN on ABC has comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ESPN on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. All programming is produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

About JR Motorsports
Established in 1999, JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for professional stock car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. JRM competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which it fields two full-time teams in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt Jr.'s organization is based out of a 66,000-square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., and includes the JR Nation retail store and Dale Jr. Fan Experience. In 2006 Earnhardt Jr. introduced Hammerhead Entertainment, a full-service production company under the JR Motorsports banner. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

Media Contacts:

George McNeilly, ESPN, 407-566-2077 george.mcneilly@espn.com

Mike Davis, JR Motorsports, 704-799-4851 mdavis@dalejr.com

Make a Gift
If you would like to make a financial gift to the Academy, please mail your gift to the address below, and we will send you a tax receipt. Gifts should be mailed to:

Oak Ridge Military Academy
Attn: Development Office
2317 Oak Ridge Road
Oak Ridge, NC 27310

We are able to offer our unique experience to cadets because of generous people like you. In 2007, ORMA celebrated 155 years since we began educating and training tomorrow’s leaders. With your help, we’ll ensure another 155 years of success.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Makes Major Gift to Academy

Oak Ridge Military Academy President Roy W. Berwick announced today that the Academy recently received a "major gift" from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his company, JR Motorsports. Headed by Vice President and General Manager, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, JR Motorsports fields the #88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Busch series, the #88 Champion Spark Plugs Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and also has two late model stock cars in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series. Both Dale Jr. and Kelley attended Oak Ridge Military Academy in the mid to late 80's and both have fond memories of their time here.

This significant contribution marks the second time in the past few months that the Earnhardt family has contributed to the Academy. In December, they made a contribution which will be used to replace the current floor in King Gym, which is currently used for the ORMA wrestling team, the swim team and the drill team. This most recent gift, of a much more sizable nature, will be restricted to several areas on campus, according to Michael Strader, Director of Development & Alumni Relations. Per the Earnhardt's wishes, a small portion of this gift will be used to support a new football program that the Academy is preparing to have ready for the fall 2007 school year. The ORMA Athletics Department is busy preparing to field an 8 man football team which will compete with several other private schools in the area.

The largest part of this gift will be used to complete renovations to historic Alumni Hall, the large, stately, white columned building that has been the campus landmark since 1914. For the past year, this structure has undergone major renovations, including a new roof, column repairs, new floors, refinished floors and many other enhancements to bring back the beauty ofthis structure. Many alumni, families, parents and friends stepped up in the fall of 2006 during the year end "Campaign for Renovations & Repairs",which sought contributions to repair and enhance many areas on campus. The latest gift by the Earnhardt’s, which is a continuation of funds being solicited for the Academy, will allow the military school to install all new windows on Alumni Hall and complete smaller renovations and upgrades to the interior of the building.

According to President Berwick, who has been at the helm since July 2005, “this gift will make a major impact on the continued renovation and preservation of historic Alumni Hall. We are all delighted that Dale and Kelley feel so much love for the school and want to make contributions such as these in support of our programs and our cadets. We are grateful to have them as part of the Oak Ridge family.” Berwick also points out that the Earnhardt’s were instrumental in providing funds for the implementation of the new Oak Ridge Military Academy Middle School, now in its second year of operation. Dale Jr. remembers many good things about his time here and states “I’m fortunate to be able to give back to Oak Ridge. Looking back, my time spent there was worthwhile and taught me more than just academics. I am proud to be an alumnus of ORMA and to be able to support their efforts with the youth of today.”