Arnold Palmer & The Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women. Located in Orlando, Florida, the hospital is the only hospital in the southeast -- and one of the few hospitals in the nation -- dedicated exclusively to serving the special needs of children and women. Samsung is providing a significant monetary donation as well as technology products such as computers and TVs to the children's hospital and the vision for a new women and infant's hospital.
Four major national retailers joined "Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope" as retail partners and have helped the program so far raise over $1 million for the participating charities. The retailers -- Best Buy for the Magic Johnson Foundation, Sears for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, CompUSA for the Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children & Women, and Radio Shack for Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation -- have encouraged their customers to donate to the program by offering special prizes such as a trip to the Super Bowl or a chance to have Magic Johnson coach their school basketball team for a day. The retailers tie special sales promotions to Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope that raise funds and help customers participate when they purchase specified products.
Peter Weedfald, Senior Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., explained, "Hope is such a priceless commodity these days, and Samsung - along with it's superstar athletes and retail partners - is proud to be making a real difference and giving hope back to children and families in the communities where we do business."
Each athlete joined "Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope" program because of the unique, high-level national exposure the campaign offers their charities. In planning the program, Samsung sought out athletes that combine a proven on-field record with a commitment to local communities and charities.
Boomer Esiason presented a historic donation worth over $2 million at today's luncheon to the Therapeutic Development Network Program, an innovative resource within the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for scientific research and drug development. "Contributions to our foundation from Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope program have helped fund vital science that gives our family and other cystic fibrosis families the hope that our children will out live us," said Esiason. "As we continue to face the obstacles created by a challenging economy, it is vital that charitable foundations like ours garner support from corporations that care not only about the bottom line, but also about making a difference in the lives of those in need."
Magic Johnson expressed his enthusiasm with the program and all the ways it has helped the Magic Johnson Foundation's education and awareness efforts. "Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope program has already benefited the Magic Johnson Foundation in numerous ways, from supporting our scholarship program to bringing much needed technology products to the inner city," said Johnson. "It's great to be on a winning team that champions hope."
Joe Torre explained how Samsung's program coincided with the launch of his foundation a year ago and the vital role that it has played. "Samsung was instrumental in launching our foundation, and with their help, we are going to fund and develop educational programs that will end the cycle of domestic violence and save lives," said Torre. "The Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation is extremely proud and honored to be associated with Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope program. "
Arnold Palmer, who was unable to attend the event and whose hospital for Children and Women received vital technology products from Samsung in addition to funds, added, "By sharing the vision for the hospital that my family and I have cared about so dearly, Four Seasons of Hope has made a difference in the lives of many children and families."
For more information about Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope, please visit our website at www.fourseasonsofhope.com.
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., markets a broad range of award-winning, advanced digital consumer electronics and information systems products. The SEA organization oversees the North American operations of Samsung Telecommunications USA, Samsung Electronics Canada and Samsung Electronics Mexico. Please visit www.samsungusa.com for more information.
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunications, flat panel display and digital convergence technology. Samsung Electronics employs approximately 70,000 people in 87 offices across 47 countries. The company is the world's largest producer of memory chips, TFT-LCDs, CDMA mobile phones, monitors and VCRs. Samsung Electronics consists of four main business units: Digital Media Network, Device Solution Network, Telecommunications Network and Digital Appliance Network Businesses. The company web site is located at http://www.samsung.com.
