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Universal Studios Hollywood's 'Discover A Star Foundation' Surpasses $1.5 Million Milestone

Universal Studios Hollywood's 'Discover A Star Foundation' Surpasses $1.5 Million Milestone

Published 09-11-03

Submitted by Vivendi Universal

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - Driven by record fundraising of over $400,000 during the past twelve months, the Discover A Star Foundation, created and sponsored by Universal Studios Hollywood, has reached a new milestone in its charitable fundraising efforts by collecting close to $1.6 million since its inception nine years ago and will now broaden its focus from ongoing college scholarship programs to include initiatives targeted toward children's health issues and services for the homeless.

A donation of $100,000 to the Chase Foundation's "Chase Place" at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles will establish a "Cool Room" for teen patients at the renowned hospital facility. Universal Studios Hollywood will serve as sponsor for the project, which will allow teenaged patients access to computers and audio/video entertainment systems as well as access to the foremost child life counselors in the country.

The Chase Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Child Life Services available at no cost to all children and their families served by Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The 314-bed non-profit Hospital, ranked among the top health care providers for children in the nation, serves patients ranging from newborns to age 21 and is currently expanding its facilities. The Child Life Services program was established in 1970 and renamed the "Chase Child Life Program" in 2000 following substantial contributions from the Chase Foundation.

In announcing the donation to the Chase Foundation for its Childrens Hospital Los Angeles program, Larry Kurzweil, president and chief operating officer, Universal Studios Hollywood said: "At Universal Studios Hollywood, we consider ourselves very fortunate to be working amid the fun and excitement of one of the world's greatest family entertainment destinations. With our own good fortune comes the responsibility to give something back to the families in our own community and in keeping with our parent company Universal Studios' long-standing philanthropic initiatives, we've identified the issues of education, children's health and services to the homeless as three areas where we'd like to make a difference. The Chase Foundation's facility at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has shown creativity and selfless initiative in providing much-needed services to young patients and we're proud to join them in this effort."

Robin D. Richards, president and founder of the Chase Foundation said, "Universal Studios Hollywood Discover A Star Foundation's generous support of the Chase Foundation will enable the Chase Foundation in partnership with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to provide much needed continuity to the Child Life program. With the image of family fun coupled with 'cool,' we are sure to put a lot of smiles on the faces of our patients."

Additional Discover A Star Foundation initiatives in the fields of children's health and services for the homeless will be announced in the near future.

With funds raised through contributions from business associates and Universal Studios Hollywood employees, the Discover A Star Foundation has to date provided college scholarships to 186 students from the cities of Los Angeles, Glendale and Burbank. In 2003, an additional 21 high school students were chosen on the basis of academic excellence and need to receive college scholarships this fall.

Universal Studios Hollywood, the world's largest movie studio and theme
park, is a division of Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment (www.universalstudioshollywood.com), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company.

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