3.27.2007 - 10:40am ET

(CSRwire) SPRINGFIELD, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2007--The SemperComm Foundation today announced its annual fundraising Gala will be at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA, on Thursday, May 10, starting at 6 p.m. The gathering is expected to draw a large crowd of defense, Congressional, business and federal agency leaders to help support the SemperComm Foundation mission.

SemperComm was founded in 2004 by the employees of Computer Systems Center Incorporated (CSCI), a defense-oriented software development and data security company, to ensure that small, overseas remote military stations were outfitted with the ability to communicate with family and friends back in the United States. The Foundation provides both the equipment and satellite access to enable contact home, which is provided free to the bases adopted by SemperComm.

"Many of our employees are former U.S. military members," said SemperComm President Linda LaRoche. "When we asked them what cause they felt passionate about and could really get behind, connecting military personnel stationed in far away places to their friends and families is what they told me. Life is bearable for most American men and women serving far from home if they're able to keep in touch with the people they care about. When our troops make so many sacrifices for us, how can we NOT do this for them?"

The SemperComm Foundation's mission is to eventually equip all small, remote U.S. military bases that lack personal communications capabilities -- typically any duty station with fewer than 75 personnel. Through its three major partners -- CSCI, Stars For Stripes, a foundation that helps bring celebrity entertainment to the troops, and PC Recycler, an electronics refurbishing and recycling services company -- SemperComm is increasing the number of bases it supports each year. SemperComm has gone from supporting one base in late 2004 to four bases currently and hopes to add several more by the end of 2007.

"The first base we adopted in Japan cost about $80,000 initially," LaRoche said. "Since then, the initial cost has grown to $125,000. Add to that about $65,000 per year per base for maintenance support, and we've got a pretty big need for donations. That's where the SemperComm Gala comes in, since it's our major fund-raiser for the year, and dramatically helps us grow and continue our mission."

The 2007 SemperComm Gala will feature a silent auction to help raise funds for the Foundation's efforts. Among the items available for auction are sporting memorabilia, golf packages and mini-vacations. In addition, the Foundation will also be accepting cash donations from attendees, and a substantial portion of each ticket price is going to fund SemperComm's efforts.

Ticket prices are $125 for active-duty military, and $300 for general admission; $175 of the general admission price is tax deductible. For more information about the Gala, please call Jaime Samar-Gramatikos at 703.923.7611.

About The SemperComm Foundation

The SemperComm Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supplying morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services to small, overseas remote U.S. military bases. SemperComm receives major support from Computer Systems Center Incorporated, a unique defense-oriented software development company; Stars For Stripes, a nonprofit that brings celebrity entertainment to U.S. military personnel; and PC Recycler, an electronics recycling and services company. For information about SemperComm, visit www.sempercomm.org.


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