Hawthorne Commences Drilling at Cassiar Gold Camp

Hawthorne Gold Corp. announce a 1,700 meter diamond drilling contract on the Table Mountain gold property located within the Cassiar Gold Camp in northern British Columbia, Canada.

Hawthorne has contracted DJ Drilling Company Ltd. of Aldergrove, BC and Watson Lake, Yukon, for an initial surface diamond drill program to test priority targets located on the Table Mountain gold property. The drill program commenced as of September 16, 2008, and may include up to 20 HQ/NQ diamond drill holes laid out to potentially define underground gold resources. The planned program is for an initial 1,700 meters, which may increase to 4,000 meters. The Company expects to carry on additional surface and underground drill programs as new priority targets are identified.

“Hawthorne is excited to have commenced its first diamond drill program within the Cassiar Gold Camp. Our experienced geological and technical teams continue to compile a comprehensive geological model for the area that will assist Hawthorne to fully evaluate the significant potential presented in the historic gold camp,” commented Richard Barclay, President and CEO of Hawthorne.

In March 2008, Hawthorne staked approximately 39,000 hectares (approximately 96,000 acres) in and around the Cassiar Gold Camp. The additional grounds overlie the same or similar geological units defined at the Taurus and Table Mountain deposits with the potential extensions thereof, and is the largest expansion in recent years, representing a significant consolidation of the gold camp under one common ownership. The staked claims increased the previous land package of 17,300 hectares by approximately 225%. The land package now totals approximately 56,300 hectares (approximately 139,000 acres).

Cassiar Gold Camp – Table Mountain Gold Mine

The Cassiar Gold Camp hosts the permitted Table Mountain gold mine consisting of a 300 ton-per-day gravity flotation mill, power plant and tailings pond. Historical gold production from the camp amounted to just under 500,000 ounces at a gold grade of roughly 0.5 ounces/ton. Gold mineralization at Table Mountain is primarily hosted in extensive quartz-carbonate-gold vein systems strongly associated with thrust faulting within altered greenstone and/or altered carbonatized ultramafic volcanic assemblages that are typical of some of Canada’s largest gold camps, including Timmins, Kirkland Lake and Val d’Or. The Company is working towards gold production at Table Mountain in 2009.

About Hawthorne Gold Corp.

Hawthorne Gold Corp. is a Canadian-based gold exploration and development company with key properties located in British Columbia, Canada. Hawthorne is led by well-respected mining leaders Richard Barclay and Michael Beley together with mining veteran Michael Redfearn. Hawthorne’s goal is to become a junior gold producer by working towards production at Table Mountain in 2009 and continued resource development at the nearby Taurus deposit, as well as the Frasergold deposit in the Cariboo region of south central British Columbia.