ADVISORY/National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children Host 3rd Annual Hope Awards.

News Editors/Assignment Desks

ADVISORY...for Tuesday (May 18)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

NCMEC

Event Honors Significant People and Organizations

for Their Efforts to Protect Children Around the World

What:       The Third Annual Hope Awards is an exclusive, black-tie
            awards ceremony honoring individuals, policy makers,
            corporations, and organizations whose admirable efforts
            have profoundly improved the welfare of children across
            the globe. This event brings together an array of
            corporate and community leaders dedicated to protecting
            children.


Who:        The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
            (NCMEC) and the International Centre for Missing &
            Exploited Children host the Annual Hope Awards.

            Bryan Cranston, actor and comedian, will serve as Master
            of Ceremonies for the event. Cranston plays Hal, Malcolm's
            father, on the hit FOX network television show "Malcolm in
            the Middle."

            Special guests will include John Walsh, host of "America's
            Most Wanted," and his wife Reve Walsh. The Walshes
            cofounded NCMEC in 1984. This year marks NCMEC's 20th
            anniversary.

            This year's Charles B. Wang International Children's Award
            will be presented to two associates of Wal-Mart Stores,
            Inc.(R) who created Code Adam, the in-store child security
            system now implemented in more than 45,000 retail stores
            nationwide, and the Missing Children's Network, Wal-Mart's
            massive, nationwide missing child search system. The
            Wal-Mart associates whose ideas led to the creation of
            those efforts, Bill Burns of Owensboro, Kentucky, and Mark
            Earl, of Bentonville, Arkansas, will be honored.

            The Chairman's Humanitarian Award will be presented to
            Rev. Angelo D'Agostino, SJ, MD.

            The Making the World Safer for Children Award will be
            presented to Mr. Ed Smart and Mrs. Lois Smart.

            The Child Victimization in the Media Award will be awarded
            to Mr. Craig Moon, President and Publisher, USA Today(R).
            Ken Paulson, Editor, USA Today, will accept the award.

            The Global Vision Award will be presented to Mr. Craig
            Millard, Chairman, Texas Gulf and Harbor, Ltd.

            The Congressional Leadership Award will be presented to
            Congressman Nick Lampson (D-TX) and Senator Richard Shelby
            (R-AL).

            The Technology for Children Award will be awarded to Scott
            McNealy, Chairman, President & CEO, Sun Microsystems (R).

When:       Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 6 p.m.


Where:      The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
            1150 22nd Street, NW
            Washington, DC


Why:        Many corporations, organizations, and professionals work
            diligently with NCMEC and the International Centre to help
            recover missing children and battle crimes against
            children. This event gives NCMEC, the International
            Centre, and others the opportunity to applaud their
            life-saving efforts.

            The awards ceremony precedes the Ninth Annual
            Congressional Breakfast and National Missing and Exploited
            Children's Awards held on Capitol Hill in honor of
            National Missing Children's Day.