Easy to win big prizes

Here’s your chance to take home a cartload of big prizes. Just join this contest and you might wind up with a genuine NBA pen with the NBA logo, a Nike running cap autographed by Manny Pacquiao, a pair of Thorlo Made in USA socks, an NBA 3-on-3 jersey, an NBA 3-on-3 body bag, a Michelin shirt, an NBA Fit T-shirt and a Beverly Hills Polo shirt. We’ll pick 10 winners from those who send in entries with the correct answers to these five questions:

• What US school did Billy Ray Bates and Jay-Jay Helterbrand play varsity basketball for?

• Whom did Nonito Donaire Jr. dethrone for the WBC/WBO bantamweight titles last February?

• Who were the top two picks in the 2006 PBA draft now playing in the Governors Cup finals? In order, please.

• Who were the male and female champions in the professional category of the recent Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 in Camarines Sur?

• What is the first name of recent Manila visitor and NBA veteran Horace Grant’s twin brother? The 6-9 forward from the University of Oklahoma was nicknamed the General and played for Washington, Portland and Philadelphia in 11 NBA seasons.   

If you know the answers, don’t hesitate. Write down your answers in a slip of paper with your name, address, age, occupation (if student, your grade or year or course and school), telephone number (this is necessary for immediate contact purposes) and in a sentence, why you read The Philippine STAR. Send your entries to “A Sporting Chance,” Sports Section, The Philippine STAR, R. Oca Jr. and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Manila. The deadline of submission of entries is 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25. Winners will be announced in this column on Friday, Aug. 26.The top prize will consist of the NBA pen, the Nike cap with Pacquiao’s autograph, a pair of Thorlo Made in USA socks, a Michelin shirt, an NBA Fit T-shirt, a Beverly Hills Polo shirt, an NBA 3-on-3 body bag, an NBA 3-on-3 jersey and surprise gifts. We will also give prizes to the second up to the 10th placers. 

You won’t get a chance like this again. Thorlo Made in USA socks are now available in Planet Sports and soon at coach Rio de la Cruz’ Running Zone store in Bonifacio Global City and the Zone store in Mall of Asia. The socks are easily the best in the business, durable, comfortable and protective of your feet. There are Thorlo socks for running, basketball, tennis, leisure and others. We’re also giving away exquisite Beverly Hills Polo shirts which are sold at all SM stores. Thorlo Made in USA socks and Beverly Hills Polo shirts are considered high-end merchandise.You only have a few days to send in your entries – the more you send in, the more chances you get to win. This is our way of thanking you for supporting “A Sporting Chance” in The Philippine STAR, the Dean’s Corner on philstar.com, our facebook page (Joaquin Henson), our facebook fan page (Quinito Henson) and our twitter (TheDeanQuinito).

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Don’t fail to visit the Meralco lobby to view artist Leonardo Cruz’ exhibit of 28 oil paintings depicting significant episodes in Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere,” first published in Berlin in 1887. There’s a 29th “bonus” portrait in the collection – it’s of Rizal himself. It took Cruz seven years to complete the series. In 2007, Cruz’ collection was on display at the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago.

Now, in celebration of Rizal’s 150th birthday, Meralco offered its lobby space for the exhibit. Chris Yusi of Galerie Y arranged the exhibit through Air 21 team manager Allan Gregorio who proposed it to Meralco chairman Manny V. Pangilinan. According to Gregorio, the entire series is valued at P30 Million with one of its portraits fetching a price of P9 Million by itself.

Cruz, 78, has extensive experience as a creative advertising director and a comic illustrator once connected with Pendulum Publishing in California. He’s now working on Rizal’s “El Filibusterismo” with two portraits already finished. 

What makes Cruz’ works so impressive is the way he captures expressions and emotions of the persons in his portraits. He uses vivid colors to reflect mood and his background as a comic illustrator is evident in depicting a storyline in his paintings. 

The exhibit was opened last July 28 and is now on an extended run. It’s not sure when the exhibit will end so don’t delay in rushing to the Meralco lobby to view Cruz’ works and enjoy his rendition of the most stirring chapters in Rizal’s revolutionary novel.