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| Feb 22, 2008 09:07 ET |
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John Travolta and Kelly Preston Help Raise $1.2 million for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Vincent's Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida
Stars Raise the Bar at 27th Annual Red Rose Ball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- John Travolta and Kelly Preston were honored guests at the 27th annual Red Rose Ball held in Jacksonville, Florida on February 15. Their participation made the event the most successful one-day charity fundraiser in Jacksonville history netting $1.2 million for a new neonatal intensive care unit at St. Vincent's Hospital. The stars attended the event at the request of their attorney, Michael Ossi, whose entertainment law firm, Ossi, Najem & Rosario, is based in Jacksonville. Ossi served as the event's honorary chair and his law partner, Lawrence Najem, served as co-chair.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080222/CLF019 )
"I've never known anyone more generous and philanthropic than John and Kelly," says Ossi. "Both John and Kelly have a huge heart for children and children's issues. They stayed at the event for nearly five hours greeting nearly every one of the 720 guests. The celebrities epitomize the very best in Hollywood; they offer their personal time and star power to help children."
"Kelly and I were happy to support Mike and this event. Nothing is more important to us than the health and welfare of children," says Travolta.
"Even more important than the seven figure success of the evening, is the number of lives of the tiniest infants that will be saved; the number of babies who will go home with Mom and Dad healthy; and the number of poor mothers who will have the best facility and technology available to anyone, anywhere," says Scott Whalen, St. Vincent's President & CEO.
About Ossi, Najem & Rosario
Established in 1986 in Jacksonville, Florida, Ossi, Najem & Rosario is among the country's leading entertainment law firms. Clients include A-list celebrities, professional athletes and the William Morris Agency, the country's top talent agency. The firm specializes in movie finance, production and distribution; day-to-day business management for celebrities; and civil litigation. With the goal of bringing production to Florida, and Jacksonville specifically, the firm was recently instrumental in the production of two features, one of which starred Sharon Stone and appeared at the Sundance Film Festival and the other starring Tim Allen and an ensemble cast. The firm's partners are included in Best Lawyers in America. |
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Disney Donation to Sponsor USO Family Events
ARLINGTON, Va., May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Military Appreciation Month, The Walt Disney Company is sponsoring 32 Military Family Appreciation Events at USO centers worldwide. More than 64,000 service members and their families are expected to attend these events, which feature children's activities, games, food and prizes.
"We are grateful for the generous donation from The Walt Disney Company," said Edward A. Powell, USO president and CEO. "This is the perfect time to reflect on the selfless service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and their families."
As a Worldwide Strategic Sponsor of the USO, The Walt Disney Company has supported military personnel and their families through the "Operation Disney Care Package" and "Disney Minnie Grant" programs, which builds on six years of corporate support for the USO, totaling more than $3.6 million of cash and in- kind donations.
Throughout May, the following centers are holding Military Family Appreciation Events: USO Okinawa, USO Sasebo, the USO Pacific Regional Office and USO Kadena Air Base, Japan; USO Korea; USO Guam; USO Kaiserslautern, USO Rhein-Main Area, USO Rhein-Neckar, USO Stuttgart, and USO Schweinfurt, Germany; USO Naples, USO Rome and USO Vicenza, Italy; the USO Center of Jacksonville and USO of Greater Pensacola Area, Fla.; USO of North Carolina at Raleigh-Durham International Airport; USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey; USO of Illinois; USO of Greater Houston, Texas; USO of Hampton Roads, Va.; USO General Douglas MacArthur Memorial Center and USO Fort Drum, N.Y.; James S. McDonnell USO, Mo.; USO Gulf Coast, Miss.; USO Fort Hood and USO El Paso, Texas; and Rocky Mountain USO, Colo.
In May, 127 "Operation Disney Care Packages," filled with Disney DVDs, books, toys and other products will be sent to USO centers around the world to help entertain troops and their families.
About the USO: For more than 66 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems North America, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, DRS Technologies, Inc., Military Channel, S & K Sales Co., TriWest Healthcare Alliance and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org/.
About Disney Worldwide Outreach: Disney brightens the lives of children in need around the world through global outreach programs, local community initiatives and the Disney VoluntEARS program. Last year, Disney donated more than $170 million in cash and in-kind support to various charities around the world. Disney VoluntEARS contributed more than 485,000 hours of service and the company drew upon its unique magic to make wishes come true for children and families. The Disney VoluntEARS program provides opportunities for Disney employees to contribute their time and expertise towards making a positive impact in the communities they serve while furthering the traditions and ideals of The Walt Disney Company. For more information on Disney's outreach efforts, please visit http://www.disneyhand.com/ |
