Dez Loreen
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 16/06) - Yellowknifers could soon be rubbing shoulders with the likes of comedian Chris Rock, or actress Jessica Alba.
They're among the presenters at tonight's Golden Globe Awards who are being offered a trip to the city as part of a promotion for certified polar diamonds.
"It would be a very beneficial experience," said Heather Kirk, president of imMedia, the pubic relations company that handles promotion of NWT certified diamonds.
The celebrities will have their travel paid from Edmonton to Yellowknife and will each take home a pendant embedded with a certified polar diamond.
The visit is part of a joint promotion by the Northwest Territories government and organizers of the annual awards.
Kirk said it will help boost international awareness of diamonds from the Territories.
The three-day visit will include a tour of a Yellowknife diamond factory and a visit to a diamond cutting and polishing course at Aurora College.
The Golden Globe presenters could join a long list of celebrities who have stayed at the Explorer Hotel. The recently-renovated hotel is one of the choices for accommodations.
Former prime ministers Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney have slept there and so have Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy and comedian Rick Mercer.
The experience is valued at more than $15,000 US, and is only a fragment of the $62,000 US gift box.
More in-depth details on the gift package will be analyzed on today's Ellen deGeneres show. One lucky member of Ellen's audience will take the gift box home, and be offered the diamond trip from anywhere in North America.
It's the first time a trip has been offered as part of the Golden Globe gift package and Kirk hopes it will turn some heads towards Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories.
Yellowknifers can also keep an eye out for other Golden Globe presenters. This year's list includes Benjamin Bratt, Mariah Carey, Catherine Deneuve, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, Evangeline Lilly, Virginia Madsen, Tobey Maguire, William Petersen, Natalie Portman, Emmy Rossum, Nicollette Sheridan, Hilary Swank, Emma Thompson, John Travolta and Denzel Washington.