TULIP TIME FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LUNCHEON SPEAKER

Holland, Michigan – April 13, 2010. The Tulip Time Festival is pleased to announce Mr. Erik Prince as the 2010 Tulip Time Festival Luncheon guest speaker. A Holland native, Prince will offer an engaging and motivational presentation sharing insights into his life experiences and how the value-based lessons of his childhood in Holland helped launch his life’s journey. His presentation will also touch on his family’s guiding principles of free enterprise and local philanthropy.

“We are pleased that Erik is willing to join us for the Luncheon and provide us with his personal life stories,” says Tamra Bouman, Executive Director of Tulip Time Festival, Inc. “We sought out a speaker who has strong personal ties to our community. Erik has been on the world’s stage, and we’re very interested to hear how Holland’s educational, cultural and social environment influenced his life.”

Prince was born and raised in Holland, graduating from Holland Christian High School and Hillsdale College. After graduation, he became a commissioned officer in the United States Navy, and ultimately joined the Navy SEALs serving in both Haiti and Bosnia. In 1997, he founded Blackwater USA (recently renamed Xe Corporation), a state of the art tactical training facility in North Carolina. He is the son of long-time community philanthropists Elsa Prince Broekhuizen and the late Edgar Prince.

The Tulip Time Festival Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, May 5 at the DeVos Fieldhouse, 222 Fairbanks Avenue in Holland. Huntington Bank is once again graciously serving as the Luncheon sponsor.

Doors open at 11am and the Luncheon begins at 11:30am. Luncheon tickets can be purchased by calling the Tulip Time Festival office at 616-396-4221.