Mayor Oscar Goodman announces local winners of "Once Upon 100 Weddings"

What: Mayor Oscar Goodman will announce the two Las Vegas couples selected to participate in the Centennial's "Once Upon 100 Weddings" promotion, in which 100 couples will tie the knot in a joint ceremony under the canopy of the Fremont Street Experience on June 9. The two lucky local couples and 98 couples from nationwide and worldwide will receive a wedding package that will include wedding nuptials, bachelor and bachelorette parties and wedding gifts provided by local retailers.

The local couples were selected through an online contest in which they wrote essays describing their personal love story and their secret for a long-lasting marriage. A jury comprised of a local marriage counselor, a divorce attorney and a local couple who has been married for 25 years judged the essays and selected the winners.

When: Thursday, June 2, from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where: A Special Memory Wedding Chapel 800 S. Fourth Street, near Charleston Blvd. Media should park in the chapel parking lot.

ABOUT THE JUDGES
Margie Koch, Therapist and CEO of Harmony Healthcare A marriage and family therapist at Harmony Healthcare, Margie Koch obtained both her bachelor's and master's degree in psychology from UNLV. Koch fell in love with the Las Vegas Valley after visiting the area for her honeymoon in 1981 and moved to Boulder City shortly after. The mother of two sons, Koch has also worked as a therapist for the Salvation Army in Las Vegas and the Boulder City Hospital.

Frances Fine, Divorce Attorney Frances Fine specializes in child custody, divorce, termination of parental rights and adoptions. Fine graduated from the University of Arizona in 1973 and from Golden Gate University in 1983, where she obtained her J.D. Fine served as District Court Judge, Family Division, Eighth Judicial District Court, from 1992 to 1998. Fine is also very active in the Las Vegas community, currently serving on various boards, including Nevada School of the Arts, Women's Division, Jewish Federation of Las Vegas and Temple Beth Am.

Thomas and Billie Bastian, Longtime married couple Tom and Billie married in Las Vegas in 1979 after meeting at a church swim party. Both longtime Las Vegans, Tom Bastian's parents are Nevada pioneers primarily responsible for settling the town of Alamo, Nevada. Tom and Billie have been married for more than 25 years and have found their time together to be a growing and loving experience. The parents of two say the secret to their long and happy marriage is their belief in unconditional love, their common faith, patience, trust and shared interests.

ABOUT THE SPONSORS
Sponsors of the Las Vegas Centennial include Beaulieu Vineyard (BV Wines), which is also celebrating 100 years of wine-making, American Express, the official card sponsor of the Las Vegas Centennial and Albertsons, the official supermarket of the Las Vegas Centennial. Sponsors of ``Once Upon 100 Weddings'' include New Line Cinema's Wedding Crashers, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Fremont Street Experience, Southwest Airlines, Golden Nugget, David's Bridal, Cold Stone Creamery, Costco, Las Vegas Floral Designers International, Elegant Creations & Celebrations Florist, Special Memory Wedding Chapel, Celebrity Coaches, Studio 54, La Femme, Coyote Ugly and International Game Technology (IGT).