The Guitar Hero 24-Hour Marathon, Presented by Blockbuster being held in Dallas, TX will allow players to donate $5 for unlimited play to perform songs from Activision’s “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.”  First through fifth place winners will receive an array of prizes, including a grand prize of two round-trip Southwest Airlines tickets, an autographed “Guitar Hero” guitar signed by the game’s developers, Nintendo Wii gaming system and a reserved copy of “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith,” set to release in June.

All donations collected from the event will go to the Dallas non-profit foundation, Education is Freedom, which is part of the “Igniting Opportunity for the Children of Dallas Campaign (IOCD),” a cause dedicated to increasing the educational achievement of children in Dallas.

Blockbuster is also featuring a CEO/Celebrity Challenge in which local area CEOs and celebrities will contribute $5,000 each to perform a song and compete against each other during the event. Other participants may designate that their $5 donation be counted toward their favorite celebrity or CEOs, and the CEO/Celebrity with the greatest funds raised will earn the title of Dallas CEO/Celebrity Guitar Hero.

Guitar Hero Challenge participants need to be at least 7 years of age. Those under the age of 18 need a signed waiver from their parent or guardian in order to compete.  Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

The event will take place at the Blockbuster Store (Northwest corner of Lemmon West @ McKinney), 3501 McKinney Ave, Dallas TX 75204 from Friday May 16 2:30pm to Saturday May 17 2:30pm.

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Jim Keyes, Chairman and CEO, Blockbuster Inc., will kick off the 24-hour marathon.