All Star Gala and Benefit Kick-Off Super Bowl Week in San Diego.

Business Editors & Sports/Entertainment Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 2002

Special Performance by Jay Leno, Appearance by Junior Seau and Others

to Benefit National Multiple Sclerosis Society San Diego Chapter

The San Diego Super Bowl XXXVII Host Committee and National Multiple Sclerosis Society, San Diego Area Chapter, today announced the local chapter of the National MS Society will benefit from the official kick-off party that launches Super Bowl week in San Diego.

The black-tie optional affair will feature a live performance by Jay Leno and special appearances by Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers (providing the Chargers are not in the Super Bowl game), Joe Lizura and Jim Laslavic from NBC 7/39, and others to be named. There will be live music, dancing and a gourmet four-course dinner. In addition, attendees will have an opportunity to bid on and win Super Bowl tickets as well as other items.

The event will be held at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, 333 West Harbor Drive, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003, from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. San Diego County Credit Union is the title sponsor.

Ron Fowler, chairman of the San Diego Super Bowl XXXVII Host Committee, said, "True to its name, America's Super City not only celebrates the greatest football game of the year with a great party, but also seizes the opportunity to support a worthy cause while hosting Super Bowl XXXVII. We are one of the few cities in the nation to benefit a wonderful organization like the MS Society while enjoying the economic windfall the Super Bowl provides."

In addition to sponsorship from San Diego Credit Union, other sponsors include NBC 7/39, San Diego Magazine, Red Door Interactive and the Clearpoint Agency. Other organizations that would like to sponsor the event should contact Allan Shaw, president and CEO of the San Diego Chapter of the National MS Society at 858/974-8640.

Tickets for the event are available in tables of 10 and individual tickets ranging in price from $500 to $1,000 per seat. Tickets are limited. Early reservations can be confirmed by contacting Mrs. Rathbone at 858/974-8640 or can be purchased online at www.mssd.org.

The San Diego Super Bowl Host Committee is a private, not-for-profit corporation that serves as a liaison between local efforts and the NFL. The committee's offices are located at 2919 Camino del Rio South in Mission Valley.

The San Diego Area Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's mission is to end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis; it offers programs and services designed to educate and improve the quality of life for those affected by MS. The chapter serves people with MS, their families and healthcare professionals in San Diego and Imperial counties.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is the only national voluntary MS organization that meets the standards of all major agencies that rate the fiscal responsibility of non-profit groups.

Note to Editors: Sidebar information:

-- MS is a progressive disease that randomly attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), wearing away control over the body, gradually robbing it of strength, mobility and endurance.

-- MS can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, stiffness, weakness, extreme fatigue and even paralysis or blindness; hot weather can aggravate symptoms.

-- MS symptoms may disappear, return unpredictably or result in permanent disabilities; initially, MS may be hard to diagnose.

-- MS attacks otherwise healthy adults or young adults in the prime of their lives, between the ages of 15 and 50, who may experience some baffling and scary symptoms.

-- Case studies are available, as well as information on national celebrities who suffer from MS.