3.30.2006 ET

(CSRwire) DEERFIELD, Ill. - Baxter Healthcare Corporation announced today the kick-off of CAMP SUPERFLY™ II, its second annual nationwide competition to support summer camp programs for children affected by a bleeding or clotting disorder. Beginning April 1, members of all ages from hemophilia chapters across the country will compete in a series of physical activities and mental challenges for more than $150,000 in grant dollars from Baxter to improve their existing summer camp, start a new camp or send more kids to camp.

The program encourages children, teens and adults with a bleeding or clotting disorder to collect points for their local team by participating in physical activities and mental challenges and reminds those with hemophilia to get critical health check-ups at their local hemophilia treatment center. The official launch of the competition will take place this weekend in conjunction with the Annual Meeting and Educational Symposium of the Hemophilia Federation of America, an ideal setting for the community to learn about available resources and programs.

"The opportunity for children to attend camp in the bleeding and clotting disorders community is crucial to their independence and understanding of their condition," said Debbie de la Riva, executive director of Houston's Lone Star Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), recipient of a $30,000 grant for placing first in Baxter's 2005 CAMP SUPERFLY competition. "Many camp programs across the country are in dire need of funds, and we applaud Baxter for creating a fun competition that encourages and unites the community to enhance our children's camp experiences."

CAMP SUPERFLY II offers improvements to the 2005 inaugural program, including nearly 50 percent more in grant awards and the organization of hemophilia chapters into three team divisions, based on size. The program was developed to strengthen the connection between chapters, members and clinics. The goal is to offer a program to the bleeding and clotting disorders community that is both fun and educational, while providing needed grant dollars for summer camp.

"Chapters and hemophilia treatment centers who participated last year were very enthusiastic about the program and had a lot of good ideas that we've incorporated into CAMP SUPERFLY II," said Peter O'Malley, vice president of national accounts for Baxter's BioScience business in the United States. "We're excited to launch CAMP SUPERFLY II and are confident that the community will agree that this year's program is bigger and better than our inaugural program."

Last year, more than 25 chapters and 800 participants from the bleeding and clotting disorders community competed in CAMP SUPERFLY. The first-place Lone Star Chapter of the NHF and second-place Texas Central Hemophilia Association, Inc. pooled their grant money together to invite more children to the state's camp in 2006 and to enhance its camp leadership program, which trains teenagers in the bleeding and clotting disorders community to become future camp leaders. Finally, third-place Hemophilia of Iowa is working to develop a camp for children under the age of six and their families, to introduce camp to new parents, and to provide a support network for parents and encourage independence.

Team points will be tabulated by an independent third-party that is also responsible for safeguarding patient privacy, facilitating program mailings and providing accurate scoring and call center support during the competition. The competition begins April 1 and ends June 30, 2006. CAMP SUPERFLY II winners will be announced on July 15, 2006.

About Baxter
Baxter Healthcare Corporation is the principal operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX). Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare professionals and their patients with treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer, hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease and trauma. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.

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