5.04.2006 ET

(CSRwire) SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - During the first week of May, employees at Bayer MaterialScience's South Charleston, W.Va., facility and Bayer CropScience's Institute, W.Va., plant will join with Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam County for a good cause - raising the roof on a new house in South Charleston. The "Bayer Raises the Roof" Habitat for Humanity project is underwritten by a $50,000 donation from the Bayer Foundation.

"Bayer and Habitat for Humanity share a deep commitment to this community," said Glenn Kraynie, vice president and site manager for the Bayer MaterialScience South Charleston facility. "Bayer takes great pride in being able to support this great effort both financially, through the Bayer Foundation's generous contribution, as well as through our employees' donation of time and 'sweat equity.'"

From May 2 through May 6, volunteers from both Bayer sites, along with professional leadership from Habitat for Humanity, will work to "Raise the Roof" on the new house. After bringing the structure under roof, the construction effort will continue over the following several weeks following the normal Habitat for Humanity building schedule.

The new house will benefit a local family of four who has successfully completed the partnering process with Habitat for Humanity. In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor in building their Habitat for Humanity house and the houses of others. In addition to investing their "sweat equity," the local family selected for this home has also fulfilled other requirements, including attendance at classes and workshops, and participation in social events designed to help them get to know their new neighbors.

"We are proud to call this community home and to play a role in enhancing the quality of life here," explained Chris Evans, vice president and site manager for the Bayer CropScience Institute site. "We are pleased that our participation in this project helps a deserving, local family have a decent place to live while also showing Bayer's support of our community."

Bayer and Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam County have a solid, long-standing relationship, according to Kraynie. For the past several years, Kanawha Valley Bayer employees have volunteered many hours of work in support of various Habitat for Humanity projects, including construction of a new home in Scott Depot, a "Women Build" project, the Country Music Television "Blitz Build" in South Charleston, and the "deconstruction" of 12 Kanawha City houses to make way for a new Charleston Area Medical Center teaching clinic that also enabled Habitat to salvage building materials for its "Restore" project. To date, the Bayer Foundation has contributed $70,000 toward the organization's "Hammering in Our Hills!" campaign, a four-year strategy to build 32 attractive and affordable homes for people in need in Kanawha and Putnam counties.

For additional information regarding Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha & Putnam County, visit http://www.habitatwv.org/kanawha.

The Bayer Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity and is the primary source of Bayer Corporation's philanthropy in the United States. With a programmatic focus on civic and social service programs; education and workforce development; arts and culture; and health and human services, the Bayer Foundation creates and supports partnerships that improve communities in which Bayer employees live and work.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high- performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with nearly 19,000 employees at 40 sites around the world and 2005 sales of 10.7 billion euros. Our innovative developments in coating, adhesive and sealant raw materials, polycarbonates, polyurethanes and thermoplastic urethane elastomers enhance the design and functionality of products in a wide variety of markets, including the automotive, construction, electrical and electronics, household and medical industries, and the sports and leisure fields. Our inorganic basic chemicals unit produces chlorine and related essential products for the chemicals industry. Let us give life to your vision. Bayer MaterialScience - Where VisionWorks.

Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 6 billion, is one of the world's leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 19,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.newsroom.bayercropscience.com

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is part of the worldwide Bayer Group, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2005 net sales of 7.3 billion euros and employed 16,200 at year end. Bayer's three operating companies - Bayer HealthCare LLC, Bayer CropScience LP and Bayer MaterialScience LLC - improve people's lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose and treat diseases, protect crops and advance automobile safety and durability.

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