George Washington University

July 11, 2012

WASHINGTON - George Washington men's basketball fans will have the opportunity to say 'Arrivederci Colonials!' at a reception at the Embassy of Italy on Wednesday, August 8. Fans can enjoy a meet-and-greet with GW's returning players and heralded recruits, as well as wish the team luck during its ambassadorial tour of Italy from August 15-26.

The reception, located at the Embassy of Italy on 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public with at least 48 hours advance RSVP to http://go.gwu.edu/mbbitaly. The cost to attend is $50 and valet parking is available at the venue for an additional $10. Attendees must present photo identification and pass through metal detectors to enter the event.

Fans will hear from Director of Athletics and Recreation Patrick Nero and Coach Mike Lonergan, as well as GW men's basketball players, who will showcase their skills at speaking Italian and knowledge of the culture after sitting through a trio of educational sessions this summer.

EVENT: 'Arrivederci Colonials!' - Reception for GW Men's Basketball Summer Tour of Italy
DATE: Wednesday, August 8
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Embassy of Italy, 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington D.C.
COST: $50 per person (Valet parking is additional $10 on site)
RSVP: http://go.gwu.edu/mbbitaly

In January, the GW Department of Athletics announced the program's summer tour of Italy, which marks its first international trip since a visit to Australia in the summer of 2005. The traveling party will depart from Washington's Dulles International Airport on Aug. 15 for an overnight flight to Rome. GW's four-day stay in Rome will include guided tours of the Vatican, the Roman Forum and the Roman Colosseum, and one of the Colonials' five games will take place in Rome on August 17.

From August 19-21 the team will be in Florence, where Michelangelo Park and the statue of David at the Academy of Fine Arts awaits. Nearby Siena will be toured in a day-trip on August 20, when GW will play its second game of the tour. The following day, on August 21, a trip to see one of the world's best-known sights in the Leaning Tower of Pisa is in store, and the Colonials will play their third game in Italy that night.

The final leg of the Italian tour takes place from August 22-26 when the traveling contingent heads to Cernobbio in the Italian Lake District. At Stresa on the beautiful Lake Maggiore, the team will spend the day on August 23 before heading to nearby Ticino to play another game that night. GW's fifth and final game in Italy will take place just outside of Cernobbio on August 24, before a day on August 25 for final receptions and farewells from Italy. The team will return home from Milan on August 26.