Philadelphia, PA - Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope, an innovative year-round national goodwill program benefiting children and families, is teaming up with Jon Bon Jovi, one of the most popular and legendary names in the entertainment industry, to bring some welcomed holiday cheer to four important Philadelphia charities this holiday season and throughout 2004. To kick off this new partnership, Samsung and Jon Bon Jovi made a very special donation of $25,000 to each of these charities (The Philadelphia Children's Alliance (PCA), the Northern Home for Children, Corporate Alliance for Drug Education (CADE), and Philabundance) at a press conference held today at City Hall in Center City Philadelphia.
"Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope has always aligned itself with world-renown superstars to help children in need, and we are honored to have Jon Bon Jovi, a superstar of both music and of giving, join and benefit our ongoing efforts," said Peter Weedfald, Sr. Vice President of Strategic Marketing and New Media, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. "As the official music of the Samsung's Four Season's of Hope, Jon Bon Jovi will help us raise funds and awareness for the important work being accomplished by all of our umbrella charities."
"I am proud to be joining Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope, and want to thank Samsung for the funds being donated today to support the critical services being offered by these four Philadelphia-area charities, which include an emergency shelter for kids, drug awareness and prevention, child abuse awareness and prevention, and hunger prevention," said Jon Bon Jovi.
As co-owner of an Arena Football League expansion team, the Philadelphia Soul, Jon Bon Jovi has adopted Philadelphia and its people. He chose the four local charities to help enrich the lives of Philadelphia and continue his longstanding tradition of helping in his local community.
In addition to the funds donated at today's event, additional money will be raised in 2004 for each of the charities via Jon Bon Jovi personal appearances as well as a major annual fund-raising event in New York City in June. The four Philadelphia charities include:
Northern Home for Children - The home serves neglected and abused children ages 10-18 who are referred through Children and Youth Agencies of Philadelphia and Delaware Counties. Northern Homes is one of the oldest facilities for children. The home offers on ground school, educational and recreational programs, social workers, childcare workers, medical/health care and psychological/psychiatric services. The mission of this facility is to reunite the kids with their families and to provide them with the essentials needed for becoming productive members of society.
Corporate Alliance for Drug Education (CADE) - In 1987, a group of committed corporate leaders, the presidents of our four major league sports teams, and the city's Mayor and Police Commissioner came together with a common mission---to fund prevention programs that would protect a generation of elementary school children from substance abuse and violence. Their investment in the future of Philadelphia's children is known as CADE, the Corporate Alliance for Drug Education. CADE works with 50,000 children each year throughout Philadelphia. CADE Prevention Specialists are consistent, trusted, positive adult role models who teach life-saving skills: decision making, goal setting, conflict resolution, communication and self-esteem.
The Philadelphia Children's Alliance (PCA) - Acts to prevent further trauma to abused children, and to assure that each child receives the services he or she needs. For an abused child, the immediate pressing needs are safety, comfort and reassurance.
Unfortunately, children are often unintentionally subjected to further trauma from the intervention system itself. Children in serious need of care can face a succession of well-meaning strangers, often in cold, clinical or impersonal institutional settings, strangers who must repeatedly question and examine them. The result can be fear, confusion, a sense of intimidation, and the chance that crucial needs will go unmet. Philadelphia has many separate agencies that provide medical, legal and social services to the victims of child abuse. But until now, there has been no one agency to coordinate these services.
Philabundance - A family nutrition initiative that combines nutrition education programs with food distribution for low-income families. They provide the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain good basic nutrition and health. The program targets residents of Philadelphia's impoverished communities, with particular emphasis on women with children. Besides the instructors, local chefs help by conducting volunteer cooking demonstrations.
Samsung's Four Seasons Of Hope is orchestrating efforts to drive donations to the charities of four sports legends with the help of four national retail partners including, golf's Arnold Palmer (The Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women) and Comp USA, football's Boomer Esiason (The Boomer Esiason Foundation) and Sears, baseball's Joe Torre (The Joe Torre Safe-At-Home Foundation) and Circuit City and basketball's Magic Johnson (The Magic Johnson Foundation) with Best Buy. The ongoing program includes unique, national promotions that aim to improve the quality of life for children and their families who face major challenges. To date, Samsung has raised over $1,600,000 in donations delivered directly to the charitable programs of each of the four superstars under the Samsung's Four Seasons of Hope umbrella.
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, telecommunication and digital convergence technology. Samsung Electronics employs approximately 70,000 people in 87 offices in 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 Business, Device Solution Network Business, Telecommunication Network Business For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
About Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is one of the world's most renowned and popular performers. Together with his band, Bon Jovi have sold 100 million records and performed more than 2,100 concerts in 47 countries for over 32 million fans. Their latest release, This Left Feels Right, is a collection of greatest hits and beloved classics deconstructed and reworked acoustically. This Left Feels Right comes hot on the heels of Bon Jovi's worldwide concert tour in support of their 2002 album Bounce, which spawned Grammy nominations for Bon Jovi for a third consecutive year. As an actor, Jon has appeared in television shows such as "Sex & The City," and "Ally McBeal" and in films such as "Moonlight & Valentino" and "U-571." Jon recently wrapped production on a new film, "Living The Lie" co-starring Topher Grace and set for release in 2004. Jon recently added the title of sports mogul to his resume, with his purchase of an Arena Football League expansion team, the Philadelphia Soul. As a hands-on co-owner, Jon is deeply involved and committed to the success of the team. Jon has been a longtime proponent of giving back off the gridiron. He has been a fervent supporter of Special Olympics, and the principal fundraiser for a local New Jersey initiative, the Parker Family Clinic. For more information, please visit http://www.bonjovi.com.
About The Soul
The Philadelphia Soul is one of 19 teams in the Arena Football League (AFL), and the second of three expansion teams to be announced this year to begin play for the 2004 season. The Soul is co-owned by rock-n-roll icon Jon Bon Jovi and Philadelphia businessman Craig A. Spencer. . Bon Jovi bandmate, Richie Sambora, is a member of the ownership group, and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Ron Jaworski, serves as team president. Recognized as one of the nation's fastest growing, most affordable and fan-friendly sports, the AFL will begin its 18th season in February 2004, making it the second-longest running football league in U.S. history, trailing only the NFL. The Soul will play its eight home games at a combination of the Wachovia Center and adjacent Wachovia Spectrum. For more information, please visit www.philadelphiasoul.com.
