NEW YORK – Samsung Electronics America Inc., a world leader in consumer electronics, announced today that former NFL football great Dan Marino will join Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope, its North American cause marketing and good will program, to help raise money for The Dan Marino Foundation which funds research and treatment for childhood autism. Now in its fifth year, Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope is an innovative philanthropy program that combines the forces of major national retailers with sports, music and civic personalities, to benefit children and communities in need. Basketball’s Earvin “Magic”Johnson, football’s Boomer Esiason, baseball’s Joe Torre, golf’s Arnold Palmer, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and music’s Jon Bon Jovi, partner with retailers such as Best Buy, Sears, Circuit City and CompUSA to execute unique retail programs that raise money and awareness to improve the quality of life for children and their families.
This year’s June 22 event at Tavern on the Green will feature a special live performance from Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, whose charity Neighbor’s Keeper, for victims of Katrina, will also benefit from funds raised.
To date, Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope program has raised more than seven million dollars for its charities and is highly recognized for its achievements.
Dan Marino, one of the NFL’s foremost quarterbacks of the 1980s and 1990s, created the Dan Marino Foundation with his wife Claire in 1992 after their second son was -2- diagnosed with autism. The Foundation’s mission is to fund comprehensive and integrated treatment programs for children with developmental disabilities and chronic medical problems.
“Joining Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope with the support of Circuit City will give my foundation the opportunity to extend the reach of our message and raise additional funds for important autism research. We are really thrilled to join this wonderful program that Samsung has built,“ said Dan Marino.
Peter Weedfald, senior vice president, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., said, “Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope is proud to celebrate its fifth anniversary by welcoming Dan Marino into this generous and talented group of people. We are honored to help Dan raise funds for autism research. It’s satisfying to see the positive results that can be accomplished when corporations and heroes like Dan pool their resources to benefit our communities and its children. Samsung looks forward to being able to support these kinds of charitable efforts for years to come.”
Circuit City, one of the country’s leading consumer electronics retailers, will partner with Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope and the Dan Marino Foundation through national retail promotions over the course of the year to raise additional funds. “Autism affects more than one and a half million Americans,” said Douglas T. Moore, Circuit City’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. “Dan and his foundation are doing so much to put this lifelong developmental disability in the forefront so that it can receive the attention and money it needs to fund important research. Circuit City is proud to be involved with Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope program that benefits so many kids and their families. With Circuit City’s more than 600 stores, we can help give the Dan Marino Foundation the national reach it needs to be effective.”
For more information about Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope, please visit our website at www.fourseasonsofhope.com Each year the Samsung Four Seasons of Hope annual gala fundraiser attracts a star-studded roster of music, sports and political celebrities to help raise money for participating charities and organizations
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, advanced digital consumer electronics, information systems and home appliance products. The SEA organization oversees the North American operations of Samsung including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2005 parent company sales of US$56.7 billion and net income of US$7.5 billion. Employing approximately 128,000 people in over 90 offices in 51 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones, and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com
About the Dan Marino Foundation, is a non-profit organization that provides integrated treatment programs, outreach services and research of chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities in children. Since the organization was established more than 14 years ago, it has built the Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center in Weston, FL, which is now recognized both nationally and internationally for its ability to provide the finest integrative care for children with autism. Currently, more than 20,000 children are seen at the Center each year for approximately 50,000 visits annually. In 2006, they introduced the Marino Autism Research Institute – a “Virtual Institute” designed to sponsor cross-university collaborative research in understanding, treating and preventing autism. Also launched by the Marino family is Childnet.tv, a web TV channel that is dedicated to autism and other neuron-developmental disorders and showcases personal stories, therapies and the latest medical breakthroughs.
For more information about the Dan Marino Foundation, please visit the web site at www.danmarinofoundation.com.
About Circuit City Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE:CC) is a leading specialty retailer of consumer electronics. The domestic segment operates through 630 Superstores and five other locations in 158 U.S. markets. The international segment operates through more than 950 retail stores and dealer outlets in Canada. Circuit City also operates Web sites at www.circuitcity.com and at www.thesource.ca.
