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U.S. Representative Peter King and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton Join Together to Urge Americans to Rekindle National Spirit of Unity in Observance of the Fifth Anniversary of Sept. 11

Initiative to Establish 9/11 as a National Day of Charitable Service Gains Momentum Under New Partnerships with AOL, MySpace and Leading Nonprofits Nationwide

Release Date: August 18, 2006

NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2006 - One Day's Pay, a prominent 9/11 nonprofit group, today launched a national campaign to encourage Americans everywhere to pledge to perform good deeds, community service and other charitable acts in observance of the upcoming fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The group, supported by more than 20 leading 9/11 family and support groups, unveiled a new initiative and Web site (myGoodDeed.org), previewed national television and radio public service announcements narrated by actor Gary Sinise, and announced new online media partnerships with MySpace and AOL. Since its inception in 2003, the organization's grassroots movement to establish 9/11 as a national day of charitable service has drawn more than three million people, according to organizer's estimates.

U.S. Representative Peter King (R-Long Island, NY), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, (D-NY), members of the nonprofit's Honorary Congressional Advisory Board, helped kick off the initiative and urged Americans to come together to help others in need as a way to pay tribute to those who either gave or risked their lives in the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

In 2004, Rep. King and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), who serve as co-chairs of the myGoodDeed.org Honorary Congressional Advisory Board, co-authored and helped secure unanimous passage of resolutions expressing Congressional support for proclaiming 9/11 as a national day of voluntary service. Sen. Clinton was a lead co-sponsor on the Senate resolution. The nonprofit group said that, in the days leading up to Sept. 11, it will encourage all members of Congress and their staffs to post pledges of good deeds this year in observance of the fifth anniversary, and is working to place temporary computer kiosks in the Capitol Building for that purpose. The group also has requested that President George Bush issue a proclamation designating 9/11 as a day of charitable service and good deeds.

"Just One Good Deed"

The myGoodDeed.org initiative calls on Americans and organizations to pledge to perform at least one good deed of their own choosing in observance of the fifth anniversary of 9/11.

"Almost five years since the attacks, Americans everywhere continue to have legitimate questions about how best to observe the anniversary of 9/11," said David Paine, president and co-founder of the myGoodDeed.org initiative. "More than 50 percent say they are uncertain what to do, and a majority say that 9/11 remains a troubling time for them, even five years later. myGoodDeed.org provides people, businesses and groups with an appropriate and constructive way to mark this day, benefiting those in need while honoring those who lost their lives. Our hope, ultimately, is to rekindle the spirit of unity and compassion that existed in the nation after the tragedy and give everyone a constructive and meaningful way to remember 9/11 and pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much."

"Though our Web site provides guidance for those who seek it, we give individuals, businesses and groups the freedom to decide for themselves what they'd like to do as their good deeds," said Jay S. Winuk, a co-founder of myGoodDeed.org who lost his brother, rescuer Glenn J. Winuk, in the collapse of the World Trade Center's South Tower. "Any act of kindness and compassion counts. The initiative truly embraces the spirit of community and compassion that rose spontaneously after the attacks, and that spirit is worth preserving."

There is no cost or obligation to post a pledge on the group's site, and all information is kept entirely confidential. A pledge to perform a good deed is merely a non-binding statement of intention to perform a good deed or service activity on or around Sept. 11. The myGoodDeed.org Web site offers a wealth of choices for those looking for ideas on what to do. Visitors to the site can find organizations seeking volunteers by typing in a zip code. They can make online appointments to give blood, make donations to thousands of charities nationwide, and explore many other activities.

Businesses can participate in this observance by encouraging employees to post good deeds on the myGoodDeed.org Web site or by planning their own "good deed" projects, such as clothing, canned food or toy drives.

The goal of the campaign is to document at least one million good deeds, service projects and other charitable activities between today and Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. Paine said that the organization's new Web site, made available earlier this month on a preview basis to select organizations, 9/11 family members and nonprofits, already has collected close to 150,000 registered pledges from all around the country, well above the initiative's normal pace. In prior years, the group has typically documented approximately 100,000 pledges per year. Through research and other methods, the group estimates that 10 percent of those who participate actually post their intentions on the site.

MySpace, AOL Other Leading Media Channels Promote the Initiative Nationwide

To help build awareness of the initiative this year, both AOL and MySpace, two of the nation's largest Internet companies, will promote myGoodDeed.org to their members (over 110 million unique visitors monthly, and 98 million registered users respectively). Both companies have pledged to post online public service announcements leading up to 9/11. MySpace also will be helping myGoodDeed.org promote its online profile page, www.myspace.com/mygooddeed.

"Enabling people to make a positive impact on the world is a top priority for MySpace," said Jeff Berman, senior vice president of Public Affairs at MySpace.com. "We are proud partners in this campaign to honor the victims, survivors, and heroes of 9/11."

"AOL is proud to support myGoodDeed.org and their efforts to encourage Americans to get involved and do for others as a way of honoring the fifth anniversary of 9/11," said Rich D'Amato, vice president of AOL Community Investment. "We believe in the power of people to make change and know the value of the online medium in helping people learn, act and build their commitment to community and to their own personal philanthropy. Joining myGoodDeed.org and committing to perform service to others is a noble way to honor the victims of 9/11, their families and our nation."

"We understand the tremendous importance that the Web plays today in reaching people, and we are delighted to have the help of two of the nation's Internet leaders, allowing us to engage hundreds of thousands of potential volunteers in new and very different ways," Paine said.

Beginning in mid-August, Fox Network and Clear Channel will distribute myGoodDeed.org TV and radio PSAs to their local affiliates nationwide. The organizers of myGoodDeed.org are in discussions with other major media outlets to do the same. The TV PSAs, to air nationally for the first time, include three :30-second television spots that feature the voiceover of award-winning actor Gary Sinise, star of CSI: NY, and long-time supporter of the 9/11 day of service initiative. One critically-acclaimed spot initially appears to be a typical retail store ad promoting "Our Big 9/11 Sale;" as the spot fades to black, Sinise suggests, "Let's find a way to remember 9/11 before someone else does."

In the New York/New Jersey area, Z100 FM, the No. 1 rated radio station in the Tri-State area, as well as nationally, has pledged to provide more than $80,000 in free advertising and PSAs, including online support, to promote the myGoodDeed.org initiative. This campaign kicks off officially today, Aug. 16.

Events Planned Around the Country

Nationally, more than 500 organizations around the U.S. have already posted community service and other charitable projects to be performed in observance of the 5th anniversary of 9/11 this year. In the New York Tri-State area specifically, small and large volunteer service events are planned under the new myGoodDeed.org name. On Sept. 11, myGoodDeed.org plans to organize volunteers to handle rejuvenation projects on Governor's Island in New York City that will enhance future visitor programs. Close to 200 volunteers are expected to congregate near Ground Zero on the morning of 9/11 before traveling by ferryboat at 11 a.m. to start their volunteer work. Additionally, New York Cares, the city's leading volunteer service organization, along with the NYC Mayor's Volunteer Center and United Way of New York City, will be listing volunteer service projects and other charitable service opportunities on the myGoodDeed.org Web site, as well as at www.nycares.org, www.volunteernyc.org and www.unitedwaynyc.org.

On a national level, support is being provided by the Points of Light Foundation/Volunteer Center National Network; Hands On Network; American Red Cross; Youth Service America; Citizen Corps (an office under the Department of Homeland Security); Habitat for Humanity; Network for Good, and Goodwill Industries, among others. Additionally, more than 20 leading 9/11 family advocacy organizations continue their full support of myGoodDeed.org and the principle of transforming Sept. 11 into a day of good deeds and community service.

"By far, this is the single largest effort we've ever made, and we are thankful for the tremendous support we're receiving from so many organizations that share our vision for what 9/11 can and should become over time," Winuk said. "Clearly, there has been a measurable and positive effect that 9/11 has had on the nation's culture of charitable service, and also in our response generally to the suffering of others, whether at home or abroad. Sometimes from great tragedy, hope emerges."

Funding for the initiative has come from private and corporate sources, including KPMG, Ambac Corporation and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a financial services firm that lost 67 employees in the World Trade Center attacks.

To register a confidential good deed pledge for 9/11, go to http://www.mygooddeed.org.