ADVISORY/Northern California Companies to "Ski Fast" and Raise Money for Special Olympics Athletes on March 4, 2000 at Kirkwood Ski Resort.

Business/News/Sports Editors

ADVISORY...for Saturday (March 4)

NOTE TO EDITORS: In the company name Excite@Home noted in this news release, there is an "at" symbol between "Excite" and "Home." This symbol may not appear properly in some systems.

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

WHAT:  The "How Fast is Your Company?" Corporate Ski Challenge and
       CEO Race, where Bay Area companies compete on the ski slopes to
       raise significant funds for Special Olympics Northern
       California.

WHEN:  Saturday, March 4, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Chair Lift No. 5
       Kirkwood Ski Resort
       1501 Kirkwood Meadows Rd.
       Kirkwood, CA

The "How Fast is Your Company?" corporate ski challenge is the centerpiece of Special Olympics Northern California's premiere fundraising event, The Remedy Corporation Celebrity Winterfest, in South Lake Tahoe, March 3-5.

The races bring together corporate employees, Hollywood celebrities, and Special Olympics athletes in head-to-head matches on a giant slalom course. Eleven companies, including Pacific Bell Wireless, American Express, and Excite@Home have paid $20,000 each and committed seven employee-, client-, or vendor-skiers to compete. Each corporate team includes a Special Olympics advanced alpine ski athlete and a celebrity. The funds raised during Winterfest completely underwrite the cost of Special Olympics' Northern California's Winter Games the following week. These funds also pay for a substantial portion of the training programs offered year round to Special Olympics athletes. In 1999, the event raised over $400,000.

Celebrities participating in the competition include Entertainment Tonight's Bob Goen, comedian Kevin Nealo, Beverly Hills 90210's Brian Austin Green, Vanessa Marcil, and Ian Ziering, Walker Texas Ranger's Clarence Gilyard, ER's Lynn Henderson and Paul McCrane, Party of Five's Jeremy London and Paula Devicq, and Titanic's Lewis Abernathy, among others. The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic- style sports for people eight years of age and older with mental retardation.

Please phone [phone] to RSVP.