A season ticket holder's favorite time of year is here again - Renewal Time!!! Well, maybe not favorite time of year, but certainly necessary to keep the Condors flock flying. Full-season ticket holder renewals were sent out via mail on March 1. Those simply placing a 20% deposit on their 2008-09 seats by April 30 will receive a Condors 10th Anniversary DVD, a historic look back at the past 10 years in Condorstown!

Additionally, those paying in full by April 30 or signing up for AutoPay, which is a program that is set up for automatic payments to a credit or debit card, will receive a Condors Polar Fleece Blanket (50" X 60"), seen above, as an extra gift! AutoPay is not a new program, but by popular request this season, several different payment options are now available for AutoPay and each qualify for the blanket.

In addition to the great prizes for simply renewing on time, new this year the Condors are offering the Season Ticket Early Bird Renewal Giveaway and Raffle for every season ticket holder that renews with at least a 20% deposit, signs up for AutoPay or pays in full prior to March 31. Fans taking advantage of the Season Ticket Early Bird offer will receive their choice of a Yutaka Fukufuji Bobblehead, Season Ticket Holder Duffel Bag, Season Ticket Holder Sweatshirt or Season Ticket Holder Jacket (all subject to availability). Those fans will also be entered into a raffle for the grand prize: a $500 shopping spree to the Condors Team Store! With an opportunity like this, there's no doubt that it pays to be the early bird!

Once you renew your season tickets, be sure to also take advantage of the Condors Season Tickets Referral Credit Program to save big bucks on your tickets. If your referral signs up for full season tickets and pays the 20% deposit on their season tickets by April 30, you will receive $100 credit for each season ticket your referral signs up for. For example, if your referral signs up for four season tickets, and puts the 20% deposit down by April 30, then you will receive $400 credit towards your 2008-09 season tickets or $400 in Condors merchandise gift certificates!

To make the referring process even easier, the Condors are holding a Season Ticket Holders Referral night on Friday, March 14, when the Condors host the Alaska Aces. All current season ticket holders will receive complimentary tickets to the game that night to be used to recruit additional 2008-09 season ticket holders. There's no better way to spread the excitement of Condors hockey than by showing them first-hand the type of hard-hitting, non-stop action they will experience all next season by signing up for 2008-09 Condors Season Tickets!

It's the time that rolls around every year for the Bakersfield Condors to trade in the sticks and pads for aprons and transform from skaters to waiters. That's right, the Condors players will be waiting tables at the Crystal Palace for the 8th Annual Tip-A-Condor Charity Dinner and Auction on Tuesday, March 18. If you need a refill, just holler and Brett Lutes will take care of that. Want more ketchup? Not a problem - Kevin Truelson will be right out to help, that is unless of course they're busy signing and dancing on stage.

Throughout the night, the players will work for tips by serving dinner and drinks to the attendees as well as collect donations for entertaining the crowd. There will also be live and silent auctions with all proceeds, including the players' tips from the night, going to the Kern County Shrine Club. The Kern County Shrine Club helps sustain a number of local charities and is most well known for its support of children's hospitals.

Tip-A-Condor tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children, 12-and-under, and can be purchased at Condors games, the Condors Front Office (1001 Truxtun Ave.) Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at the Crystal Palace Box Office, open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

For more information on Tip-A-Condor, click here.

Don't miss your chance to show all of Kern County how great you think the Condors are by voting in the Best of Kern County poll. Vote for the Condors in question 84, for Best Family Attraction, so that everyone else can learn what you already know. Also, be sure to vote for the Condors website as best local website (question 95), "Voice of the Condors" Kevin Bartl as the best radio personality (question 87), the Teddy Bear Toss (seen to the right) for the best annual event (question 86), Best Customer Service (question 12), Best Place to Dance (question 89), and the Best Place to have a Birthday party (question 97).

Voters must complete 50% of the ballot in order for it to count, but take a few minutes and let all of Kern County know your favorites via this Bakersfield Californian poll. Voting lasts through Friday, March 7 so click here and vote now!

We've gone MAD in Condorstown in March! We're not going to wax poetic on the merits of the insanity of this month, we'll just list them and let you judge for yourself if this madness is justified!

Each Monday

Saturday, March 8: The Condors take on the Idaho Steelheads and welcome SpongeBob Squarepants to The Nest. SpongeBob will greet fans on the concourse before the game and will be available for photos in the Condors Photo Booth during the first and second intermission.

Friday, March 14: The Condors take on the Alaska Aces for the My45 and California Water Service Beach Ball Giveaway. The first 2,000 fans, 12-and-under, will receive a beach ball. Before the game, there will be a special tailgate party on the plaza in front of Rabobank Arena with a raffle for great prizes, free hot dogs and lots of fun! Raffle prizes include an autographed Condors jersey, team-signed hockey sticks and autographed pucks. Plaza party starts at 5 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m., puck drops at 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 15: The Condors take on the Alaska Aces for David Kudelka Youth Jersey Giveaway. The first 2,000 fans, 12-and-under, will receive a #4 David Kudelka Youth Jersey, courtesy of KGET-TV 17, 98-5 KBKO and McDonald's. One night of pre-game plaza partying just isn't enough, so the Condors are having another tailgate party with more free hot dogs and more chances to win great Condors prizes! Plaza party starts at 5 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m., puck drops at 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 15: The exclusive Meet the Team Party for current season ticket holders will be held right after the game. All season ticket holders are invited to come meet the players and get autographs. Just head over to the tan doors behind section 110 immediately following the final buzzer to access the lower concourse where the party will take place.

Wednesday, March 26: The End-of-Season Kids Club Party will take place at Rollerama West (7850 Brimhall Rd) from 6 to 8 p.m., the event is open to all Condors Kids Club Members and their families. Kids Club members will be able to roller skate with the Bakersfield Condors and enjoy complimentary hot dogs and soda. Admittance and roller skate rental fees are $5.00 for family members.

Sawyer Robinson became the 2 millionth fan in Condors history, as he was the 528th fan to pass through the turnstiles on Sunday, Feb. 24th. The young Condors fan, and son of season ticket holders, was presented with a special prize pack in celebration of the attendance milestone. The Condors became just the fifth active club in the ECHL to reach the milestone, joining Charlotte, Dayton, Florida and South Carolina. Click here for the complete story and click here for video of the moment.

Ever wish you could take a visual trip down memory lane by viewing every single Condors bobblehead and poster throughout the team's 10-year history? Well, wish no further for it has been granted! Fans can now enjoy perusing an image-laden timeline of Condors history, as all 11 Condors bobbleheads are available to view on the Condors 10th Anniversary page on the official website, www.bakersfieldcondors.com.

Jamie Cooke's bobblehead, the very first bobblehead in Condors history, starts the lineup, which flows chronologically to the Yutaka Fukufuji bobblehead and includes every Condors Legend that has been immortalized through little plastic and constantly nodding figures of themselves.

In addition to the bobblehead lineup, every poster that the Condors have ever concocted is posted online as well. See Jason Ralph dancing, Quinn Fair flexing poolside, Sean Venedam Christmas caroling, and have fun tracing the team's history through 10-years of Condors photo shoots!

Imagine enjoying the excitement of watching the Condors playoff pursuit in person with 20 of your closest friends while saving money at the same time. The Condors offer discounted tickets for groups of 20 or more for as little as $6, and groups enjoy benefits such as a PA shout-out, your group's name displayed on the jumbotron and thunderstix for the whole group.

Some can't-miss weekend promotions are coming up that make Condors games even more perfect for group outings. SpongeBob Squarepants (3/8), Beachball Giveaway (3/14), David Kudelka Youth Jersey Giveaway (3/15), Hockey Stick and Puck Giveaway (3/28) and Country Music Jersey (seen above) Raffle and Auction (3/29) highlight the weekend excitement throughout the month of March.

As you may have heard, we've gone mad with March Monday Madness! Everyone in attendance during March Monday Madness games has the opportunity to win amazing prizes via the Mucho Season Ticket Giveaway, Mad Dashes for Merch and more!

Through the Mucho Season Ticket Giveaway, every time the Condors score a goal during a March Monday Madness game, one lucky fan will receive a season ticket for next year! The Condors have already given away two season tickets; one to Jarrod Farris and one to April Todd, who were in attendance when the Condors scored a pair of goals against Cincinnati on March 3. Just come to a Condors game, cross your fingers and your toes, and win a 2008-09 season ticket just for being there and watching the Condors score!

March Madness is in full effect, and is not entirely contained to The Nest. In fact, the Madness has spread across the street to the Condors Team Store in the form of March Merch Madness! As a result of this March Merch Madness, EVERYTHING at the Team Store is 20% off for the entire month! ALL jerseys, t-shirts, baseball caps, bobbleheads, clocks... EVERYTHING is 20% off!

However, March Merch Madness does not stop there. A component of March Merch Madness is that at every Monday home game, all jerseys will be 50% off! That's right - all jerseys will be sold for half off at each Condors Monday home game. Sound crazy? It is, so come join the bedlam!

Also included in this sale is the recently released Condors Team Trading Card Set!

So be sure to make your way to the Team Store, located across the street from Rabobank Arena on Truxtun Ave. to take advantage of this off-the-wall sale, and hurry, because with a sale this insane, items will be flying off the shelves!

For more information, contact the Team Store at (661) 324-NETT (6388) or check out www.condorsteamstore.com, where online shopping is also available.

The sixth round of Condors Medallions was released last Saturday and features Condors Legend Glen Mears. The medallions are available exclusively at the Action Sports Superstore located at 9500 Brimhall Road, and are complimentary with any $5 purchase. The #28 Jamie Cooke medallion is next to be released and will hit Action Sports this Saturday, March 8. Only 250 medallions of each player are released with a new player featured each Saturday. Collect all 10!

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, Yutaka Fukufuji became the all-time winningest goalie in Condors history with his 37th career win as a Condor. Fukufuji led the Condors to a 4-3 shootout win against the Idaho Steelheads for his 10th win of the year, propelling him past Kevin St. Pierre on the all-time victories list.

Fukufuji's milestone occurred just one night after a Condors alumnus had the game of his life. Connor James, who played in Condorstown in the 2004-05 season, scored his first career NHL goal, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Islanders, 4-2, on Tuesday, Feb. 26. James scored on a 2-on-1 break on a power play late in the third period to put the Penguins ahead by three goals.

James was recalled by the Penguins for the third time this season that same day. He has spent the majority of the season with the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL, where he has 31 points (8g- 23a) in 50 games.

The 25 year-old Calgary, Alberta native spent his first year in professional hockey with the Condors in 2004-05. He posted 46 points (21g-25a) in 51 games with Bakersfield, while also appearing in 14 games with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) that season. James made his NHL debut with the Los Angeles Kings, the team that drafted him, in 2005-06.

To view the full summary and game highlights, including James' goal, click here.

The 4th Annual Condors Fighting Cancer Hockey- Thon was held Feb. 22 through the 24, with more than 130 hockey players geared up in bright pink for 41 straight hours of hockey. This year's event raised $56,700 for Links for Life, a local breast cancer resource center, and the Condors have now helped raise more than $162,000 during the four-year existence of the Hockey-Thon.

The skaters in the Hockey-Thon were required to raise a minimum pledge amount of $200 each. A number of the participants went above and behind contributing more than half of the $56,000 total. Tigger McAllister, will enjoy an LA Kings game with 7 friends as prize having brought in the highest amount, at $3,440.

Congratulations to all the participants who made this year's Hockey-Thon a continual success and who have helped raise breast cancer awareness, helped bring assistance to breast cancer sufferers.

For a complete Hockey-Thon recap, click here.

Paul Willett scored a lot of points in his 14-year career. But his 1,000th point, scored with the Condors on March 4, 2003, stands out.

"You know what, honestly, one of the main reasons I remember that one is because of the picture in the paper," Willett says, referring to the article the next day in the Bakersfield Californian, recognizing the Condors captain on the achievement.

"It was a pass from J.J. Wrobel... I lifted the defenseman's stick to take it away from him and had a break away from the top of the hash marks."

For Willett it was just one of 1,048 points in his pro career, and nearly 400 goals. You need endurance and consistent production to reach the 1,000-point mark, and Willett had both, competing in 14 professional seasons and recording 80 or more points in a season nine times. His career spanned the American Hockey League, International Hockey League, United Hockey League, West Coast Hockey League and the ECHL. He played 916 pro games, and just for good measure chipped in 87 points in 79 career playoff contests.

Willett's hockey career has taken a different turn in recent days, as he is now the hockey director at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center and a coach in the youth leagues.

"Now that I'm involved here with the young kids and the hopes and dreams that they have I go back in time and remember a lot of things from when I was 11 or 12 and hoping to play in the NHL. Playing at a pro level for 14 years was an honor. I played with a lot of great players who eventually made it to the NHL and there were a lot of coaches that had a role in my success."

Ten years ago, PCL Construction built The Nest (Rabobank Arena) where over 2 million fans have come to watch the Condors play. Now, a decade later, PCL and the Condors have once again teamed up to bring exciting hockey to Bakersfield. Behind each goal fans see PCL's dasher boards; every time the Condors score PCL and their boards are a part of the celebration.

The PCL family of companies has a century-long tradition of excellence, hard work and a can-do attitude. They are construction leaders in buildings, civil and heavy industrial markets. Their industrial companies, including PCL Industrial Services, Inc. located in Bakersfield, respond to the unique construction needs of their clients in the petrochemical, oil & gas, gas transmission & compression, small power & cogeneration, and cement & mineral mining industries.

As the largest steam generator manufacturer in California, PCL supplies steam generators throughout California's heavy oil fields. The Bakersfield facility is fully equipped to support vessel fabrication and repair, as well as the fabrication of platework, structural steel and piping for our field construction projects. What began as a small prairie construction outfit in 1906 has grown into the largest general contracting organization in Canada and the eighth largest in the United States.

"PCL has been associated to the Bakersfield Condors since 1998 when we completed construction of the arena they have called home for the past 10 years," said President and District Manager John Kerchinski. "We are proud to support the Condors and look forward to their continued success in the years to come."

For more information on the PCL family of companies can be found on www.pcl.com.