Canon U.S.A. Employees Join in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica in Georgia.

Business Editors

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2000

-- Company Strengthens Commitment Through Direct Contribution,

Product Donations, and Employee Matching-Funds Program

-- Employees To Participate in WalkAmerica Nationwide

Canon U.S.A., Inc., the company whose imaging systems give people Know How, announced today that more than 60 employees of its Atlanta regional office will lace up their sneakers and walk six miles in Loganville, Georgia tomorrow to benefit the March of Dimes.

These Canon walkers will join more than 1,900 other employees of Canon U.S.A. and its subsidiaries across the country who will participate in WalkAmerica 2000, the 30th annual March of Dimes fundraising event. While Canon has supported WalkAmerica on a regional basis for more than a decade, the company joins this year as a national sponsor, and expects to raise money through both direct contributions and an employee matching funds program.

"Canon is proud to support WalkAmerica 2000," said Peter McKenna, Director of Canon U.S.A.'s Southeast Regional Office. "Our employees believe that they can make a meaningful contribution to the March of Dimes' fight against birth defects. In addition to March of Dimes, our employees also volunteer for several other projects that help children and the environment," McKenna added.

"The March of Dimes is delighted that Canon has lent its support to WalkAmerica as a national sponsor," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President of the March of Dimes. "We are grateful to the company's employees for giving so generously of their time and energy."

Canon Atlanta's walk begins at The Vines botanical garden in Loganville at 10:00 A.M. Walkers will be treated to an early morning breakfast, Frisbees, water bottles and other promotional gifts as a "thank you" for joining the walk.

Canon U.S.A. has been a supporter of the March of Dimes through its regional offices since 1988. In addition to its own fundraising efforts, the company is also incenting other WalkAmerica participants by awarding 20 ELPH2 cameras to the country's top 15 adult- and five young-adult fundraisers.

The ELPH 2, the world's smallest zoom-lens equipped camera, as of April 2000, weighs just six ounces and offers consumers a broad range of Advanced Photo System features in an elegant and durable stainless steel body. The camera features mid-roll film change; an ultra-sharp, aspheric zoom lens; a three-point autofocus; a built-in, high-efficiency LightGuide flash, and three picture sizes: panorama, wide-angle and standard.

Canon is also a presenting sponsor of the March of Dimes Resource Center, which provides accurate, timely information on issues relating to pregnancy and birth defects. Canon's donation of state-of-the-art equipment will enable the March of Dimes to aggressively promote the Resource Center, using a wide array of marketing materials and programs to increase awareness of its services among more pregnant women, their families, health care providers and other people around the world.

March of Dimes WalkAmerica is considered the first and best walking event in the country. The Walk is expected to draw nearly 650,000 people to participate in more than 1,400 communities in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. WalkAmerica dollars support March of Dimes cutting-edge research and innovative programs that have saved millions of babies from death or disability. For more information about the March of Dimes, visit its web site at www.modimes.org, or call 1-888-M0DIMES.

In addition to the March of Dimes, Canon, U.S.A. supports a wide range of organizations that help youth-at-risk. These groups include: the LensCrafters Foundation "Gift of Sight"; the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC); the Boomer Esaison Foundation; the Disabled Children's Relief Fund; the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and Junior Achievement. Canon also sponsors several environmental conservation and education programs, including Expedition into the Parks with the National Park Foundation; The Nature Conservancy's Wings of the Americas program; the Canon Envirothon environmental science competition, and the award-winning PBS television series "NATURE."

Canon U.S.A., Inc. is an industry leader in professional and consumer imaging solutions and, through its parent company, Canon Inc., is a top patent-holder of imaging technologies. The company's comprehensive product line includes networked multifunction devices; digital and analog copiers (color and black and white); printers, scanners, image filing systems and facsimile machines; camcorders, cameras and lenses; and semiconductor, broadcast and medical equipment. Canon employs 12,000 people at more than 30 facilities throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. For more information, please visit Canon U.S.A.'s web site at www.usa.canon.com.

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