Donations Provide Deaf Mexican Children with Cochlear Implants and the Ability to Learn Spoken Language; Fundacion Azteca and $500,000 Gift from Grupo Elektra and Western Union Foundation Help Amaoir Break the Silence.

MEXICO CITY -- The Asociacion Mexicana para la Audicion, A.C., Amaoir, today announced that more than 30 children in Mexico with profound hearing loss will be provided the ability to understand spoken language. This is being made possible thanks to a one-half million dollar donation from the Western Union Foundation and Grupo Elektra, a leading financial services company and Western Union(R) Agent in Mexico.

Amaoir received the one-half million dollar donation through Fundacion Azteca and its Movimiento Azteca fundraising campaign called Rompiendo el Silencio, Breaking the Silence. The donation will help pay for more than 30 Cochlear implant surgeries and give the gift of sound to low-income Mexican children. Cochlear implants are small electronic devices that can help provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf. The implants are surgically placed under the skin behind the ear.

"Profound hearing loss is an educational issue for children, especially in Mexico where Deafness as a culture practically does not exist and access to sign language is limited," said Dr. Gonzalo Corvera, president and founder of Amaoir. "The sooner a child is fitted with a Cochlear implant and started in therapy, the better they are able to maximize what hearing they have to learn speech and language skills.

This grant from Elektra and the Western Union Foundation is helping make this possible for more than 30 children in Mexico."

Join the Effort - Donate at U.S. Western Union Agent Locations or TV Azteca 

Now through August 17, 2006, consumers can send donations to the Breaking the Silence campaign at any participating Western Union Agent location in the United States. Consumers can send donations by simply completing the blue Western Union(R) Quick Collect(R) form and writing "Western Union Foundation" in the space marked PAY TO, "Rompiendo el Silencio" in the space marked CODE CITY, and "CO" in the space marked STATE. There will be no fees associated with the transaction, and Western Union will send all proceeds to the Breaking the Silence campaign. Additionally, TV Azteca will help raise funds for the Fundacion Azteca's Movimiento Azteca Breaking the Silence campaign during a fundraising drive on August 17. With the help of viewer and consumer donations, Amaoir can help more children.

Grupo Elektra donated $250,000, and the Western Union Foundation matched the donation through its Agent Gift Match Program. Through this program, the Western Union Foundation matches qualifying Agent funds dollar-for-dollar to help vulnerable people in the Agent's community of choice. Grupo Elektra's gift is the largest made by a Mexican Agent in the history of the program.

"Grupo Elektra is glad to continue our tradition of giving and to assist Amaoir in its mission to help improve and enhance the quality of life for profoundly deaf children in Mexico," said Javier Sarro, Grupo Elektra. "Additionally, on August 17 consumers can watch TV Azteca and make donations during the Movimiento Azteca fundraising drive."

"Every child should be able to communicate, which is why Grupo Elektra and the Western Union Foundation have teamed up to break the silence for these children," said Luella Chavez D'Angelo, president of the Western Union Foundation. "These gifts will send echoes of compassion through the lives of these children, and this is a great opportunity to give back to the Mexican public and make an impact in the country."

Amaoir has arranged for free hospital services and pro-bono doctor care for all of these operations. These costs are typically beyond the grasp of many working Mexican families. The devices are being purchased from Cochlear Americas at a generous discount.

Tips to Help Prevent and Detect Youth Hearing Loss and Deafness

Early detection increases the ability of doctors and others to help children with profound deafness. The following tips can help parents detect or prevent hearing issues with children:

--Get the proper immunizations and proper medical treatments for infections for you and your children.

--Begin screening for hearing loss at birth, or at least before the child is six months old.

--Look for signs in infants - A child should recognize his own name by five months; by six months a child should recognize his mothers voice and smile before being able to see her; by nine months a child should demonstrate understanding of simple words; by 12 months a child should be able to speak at least one real, recognizable word; by 18 months a child should understand simple phrases and point to body parts on request.

About Grupo Elektra

Grupo Elektra, S.A. de C.V. (BMV: ELEKTRA; Latibex: XEKT) is Latin America's leading specialty retailer and financial services company, serving the mass market by providing consumer credit. It operates more than 1,000 stores in four countries, selling goods and services through our Elektra, Salinas & Rocha, Bodega de Remates stores, and Elektricity. Grupo Elektra is divided mainly in two divisions: retail and financial. At the same time, the retail division is divided in two geographical areas: Mexico, which includes our four store formats; and Latin America (Guatemala, Honduras and Peru), where only the Elektra store format operates and credit is still granted through the commercial division. Grupo Elektra's financial division only operates in Mexico and Panama and includes Banco Azteca, a bank that offers financial services to Mexico 's mass market; Afore Azteca, a retirement fund manager; Seguros Azteca, a insurance company; and Circulo de Credito, the new credit information bureau for individuals in Mexico.

About Western Union Foundation

The Western Union Foundation, the charitable organization of Western Union, supports philanthropic initiatives worldwide. Since its inception in December 2000, the Foundation has donated more than $25 million dollars to help those most in need. Grants are made to non-profit organizations in health, education and human services that strengthen and improve the lives of many individuals in comminutes throughout the world. Scholarships are given to nontraditional college students in the United States. The Foundation also provides disaster relief funding to communities in need. Additionally, the Foundation raises money from Western Union employees and business associates to increase the impact of grantmaking to communities worldwide. Please visit the Foundation's Web site at www.firstdatawesternunion.org.

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