CHICAGO--As part of the April events that mark the national observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company will be title sponsor of the Wrigley Start Early Run along Chicago's lakefront. Over 1,500 participants of all ages are expected to take part in the 10K or 5K Runs, 5K-Pledge Walk and Kids Dash events on Saturday, April 17 starting at 9 a.m.

The Wrigley Start Early Run will offer families and friends a chance to have some fun while raising awareness of child abuse prevention efforts, as well as raising funds to support programs and organizations that strengthen families and keep children safe. ABC 7 news anchor, Rob Johnson, will be the celebrity runner and program emcee. All proceeds will benefit Voices for Illinois Children and Prevent Child Abuse America.

"Our inaugural sponsorship of the Wrigley Start Early Run in 2003 was a great success, resulting in significant increases in participation and dollars raised from the event," said Christopher Perille, Senior Director - Corporate Communications for Wrigley. "The Chicago community is spirited and generous, and we hope they will help us continue to build awareness and raise funds to support child abuse prevention programs by coming down to the lakefront, on April 17."

The Wrigley Start Early Run spotlights efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, and raises money to support Prevent Child Abuse America's many prevention programs and efforts, and Voices for Illinois Children's Start Early: Learning Begins at Birth campaign. Through an Illinois network of partners, the campaign educates the public and reaches parents with materials that highlight the early learning potential of their children. The Start Early message has been successfully delivered to over 120,000 young, at-risk mothers, helping to change behaviors and reduce the likelihood of child abuse.

Voices for Illinois Children

Voices for Illinois Children is a statewide, non-profit, non-partisan group of child advocates who work to implement policies and programs that support children and families.

"The disparities between children who are doing well and those who aren't should compel us to be much more aggressive with investing in our state's children and their families," said Jerome Stermer, Voices for Illinois Children president, "Child abuse is not an isolated problem, so we also must acknowledge other factors such as poverty, family stress, education and child health."

Prevent Child Abuse America

For over 30 years, Prevent Child Abuse America has been the leading organization working at the national, state and local levels to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation's children. Headquartered in Chicago, the organization is widely known for its public awareness, prevention programs, advocacy efforts and research.

"By valuing children, strengthening families and engaging communities, we're working to prevent child abuse and neglect before it starts," said A. Sidney Johnson, III, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. "This event is important because it unites the community, showing that together we really can make a difference in the lives of children and families nationwide."

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company

The Wrigley Company is a recognized leader in the confectionery field and the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of chewing and bubble gum, with global sales of over $3 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, the Company markets its world-famous brands in over 150 countries around the world.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company

The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The Company has global sales of nearly $4.7 billion and distributes its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries. Three of these brands - Wrigley's Spearmint®, Juicy Fruit®, and Altoids® - have heritages stretching back more than a century. Other well-loved brands include Doublemint®, Life Savers®, Big Red®, Boomer®, Pim Pom®, Winterfresh®, Extra®, Freedent®, Hubba Bubba®, Orbit®, Excel®, Creme Savers®, Eclipse®, Airwaves®, Solano®, Sugus®, P.K.®, Cool Air® and 5™.

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