Canon U.S.A. and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Donate Canon Digital Imaging Equipment to New Orleans Police Department as Part of the Canon4Kids Program.

NEW ORLEANS -- In August 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita resulted in devastating loss for the Gulf Coast of the United States. The city of New Orleans was particularly impacted and they are still working to rebuild from the disaster. Today, digital imaging equipment donated to the New Orleans Police Department by Canon U.S.A., Inc., through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(R) (NCMEC) will further help in the rebuilding efforts.

A Canon digital camera, scanner, camcorder, printer and copier were presented to the Juvenile Division of the New Orleans Police Department at the International Homicide Investigators Association's Annual Training Symposium. The donation is made possible by the Canon4Kids program, a partnership between Canon U.S.A. and NCMEC. The program distributes equipment to law enforcement and educates parents and guardians about tips for taking and maintaining updated photos of their children, one of the most important tools available in case a child is missing. As part of the program, more than 600 pieces of donated Canon equipment (digital cameras, fax-phones, printers and scanners) have been distributed to law-enforcement agencies in 37 states, Puerto Rico and internationally.

"Supporting the efforts of law enforcement professionals is a vital part of NCMEC's mission," said Ernie Allen, president and chief executive officer, NCMEC. "We are honored to collaborate with our long time partner Canon U.S.A. to help support the New Orleans Police Department in the important work that they do."

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, NCMEC sent Team ADAM consultants equipped with Canon digital technology to the affected areas in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas to help identify and reunite children and families that had been displaced by the storms. On March 16, 2006, the last of 5,192 missing or displaced children reported to NCMEC's Katrina Missing Persons Hotline was reunited with their family.

"Through our partnership with NCMEC, we hope to let everyone know that digital photographs can play a key role in helping law enforcement locate missing or displaced children," said Joe Adachi, president and chief executive officer, Canon U.S.A. "The ability to help law enforcement, such as the New Orleans Police Department, reunite children with their families using our technology is very gratifying for our entire company."

Canon U.S.A. and NCMEC have collaborated since 1997 to raise public awareness about the growing issue of child abduction. The current Canon4Kids program also features pictures of missing children along with NCMEC hotline (1-800-THE-LOST) in various venues. To date, 230 children's photos have been submitted to Canon and 118 have been recovered. As part of the effort, PGA TOUR golfer Briny Baird and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour golfer Michelle McGann each place a photo of a local missing child on their golf bags during each tournament in which they play. To date, Briny has hosted 163 pictures of missing children of which 35 featured have been recovered and Michelle has hosted 57 pictures of which 20 missing children featured have been recovered.

In addition to today's donation, Canon Group and its employees donated in excess of $1.4 million dollars in support of relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi in September 2005. The company also donated a Canon CXDI-50G Digital Radiography System to Slidell Memorial Hospital in Slidell, Louisiana, to assist with its rebuilding efforts.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 408,700 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 122,600 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 104,900 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24 hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2005, with global revenues of $31.8 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.