Los Angeles Area Landmarks Shine Blue in Support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Greater Los Angeles' Holiday Season Campaign, ``A Season of Wishes(TM)''.

LOS ANGELES -- The Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Greater Los Angeles:

--Mayor of Santa Monica and the UCLA Marching Band Welcome "Blue Monday" at a Ceremony Featuring the First-Ever Lighting of over 6,000 Blue Lights Atop the 130' Foot Pacific Wheel at Historic Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier 

--Saputo Cheese USA Presents the Second of an Unprecedented Number of Wishes to Be Granted This Holiday Season to Children in Los Angeles with Life-Threatening Medical Conditions 

The Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Greater Los Angeles "flipped the switch" tonight, lighting over 6,000 Blue light bulbs affixed to the Ferris wheel at the Pacific Park in Santa Monica, Calif., in a ceremonial lighting event to "turn Los Angeles Blue" as a brilliant display of support for Los Angeles children battling life-threatening medical conditions and the Foundation's campaign, "A Season of Wishes(TM)." Wish Child Andie Riffer received her most heartfelt wish to go snowboarding with her family when Julie Wietzke, Western Dairy Zone Manager for Saputo Cheese USA, presented her with new ski gear and a family vacation package to Whistler, British Columbia, as Santa Monica's Mayor Pam O'Connor and members of the UCLA Marching Band helped kick off "Blue Monday."

"A Season of Wishes" is a 6-week citywide celebration to support children with life-threatening medical conditions. The campaign, which officially kicked off at The Grove's evening tree-lighting ceremony on Sunday, November 20, 2005, will feature several high profile events, family activities, celebrity involvement, the Foundation's signature color Make-A-Wish Blue(TM), and the granting of an unprecedented number of wishes during the holiday season.

"`A Season of Wishes' is about sharing the magic of fulfilling children's wishes with the community that we serve," said Kelli Seely, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. "Last night's event at the Santa Monica Pier embodied that magic, bringing together members of the city council, friends, and families of the Foundation, and even the UCLA marching band to turn the Pacific Wheel Blue for the first time and grant Andie's special wish."

Los Angeles Turns Blue

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles designated Monday, November 21, as "Blue Monday" -- the day when all visual campaign partners turn Blue in honor of the children and the wishes that brighten their lives. In concert with the ceremonial lighting of the Pacific Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier, landmarks throughout Los Angeles also turned Make-A-Wish Blue as a representation of the Foundation's involvement in the Greater Los Angeles community. The STAPLES Center, The Queen Mary in Long Beach, and the Vincent Thomas Bridge all created a stunning Blue presence on "Blue Monday."

Campaign Partners

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles also partnered with individuals, businesses, and organizations to support "A Season of Wishes" through campaign partnerships that incorporate the Make-A-Wish Blue(TM) color with visual, retail, and fundraising promotions. From Blue bagels by Western Bagels to the Make-A-Wish Necklace by Dogeared Jewelry & Gifts, a diverse group of partners have chosen to Wish it Blue for "A Season of Wishes". The "A Season of Wishes" necklace, by Dogeared Jewelry & Gifts, is available at the Make-A-Wish kiosk at The Grove, on the campaign website, and other retail locations throughout Los Angeles. To find the retail location nearest you, or to find other ways to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit http://www.wish-it-blue.org.

Other partners in the campaign include Best Buy, Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, Big Blue Bus of Santa Monica, Dream Dinners, Fox Entertainment Group, FOX11, Hilton Hotels, Lamborghini of Beverly Hills, the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles magazine, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Michael Stars, Showtime Networks, Inc., Things Remembered, The Whisper Lounge, and White Christmas at Pantages Theater.

Weekly Wish Nights at The Grove

Designed to convey the powerful impact that fulfilling a wish has on everyone associated with the experience, "A Season of Wishes" also provides the opportunity to bring Los Angeles residents a greater awareness of the Make-A-Wish Foundation's 25-year history of making wishes come true.

During the campaign, six deserving children will have their most heartfelt wishes granted at "Weekly Wish Nights at The Grove." The Los Angeles community will be able to Share the Power of a Wish(R) with the Foundation when the weekly wishes air on campaign media partner FOX11 during weekly Tuesday night ten o'clock newscasts. The first weekly wish is at 6:00 PM on November 22, at The Grove.

Upcoming Events

In addition to Tuesday's Weekly Wish Nights at The Grove, Angelenos can look forward to numerous other events during "A Season of Wishes," including "A Day at the Races" at the Hollywood Racetrack on December 3, "Matt Gallant's Bowling for Wishes" at Bay Shore Lanes on December 5, and "Wish Night With the Lakers" at the STAPLES Center on December 20. For more information on upcoming events, please visit www.wish-it-blue.com.

Public Service Announcement and Print Campaign

Another large element of the campaign is the PSA, titled "Believe," which was created, co-written, and produced by Zambezi Ink and HSI productions, and narrated by Kobe Bryant. During the shoot, six lucky wish children of the Foundation worked one-on-one with Bryant, an honored wish granter of the organization.

"From my very first wish experience, working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation has been a gratifying process, and the children I've met have inspired me to share this experience with as many people as possible," said Bryant. "We've worked to develop a public service announcement that exudes the power and self-confidence that wishes bring to children with life-threatening medical conditions, and we hope to bring greater awareness and assistance to the children still waiting for their wish to be granted."

The public service announcement is now available to air locally in 30-second and 45-second spots. Please contact Lisa Townsend at 310-556-4443 to receive a Beta SP copy of the public service announcement.

The core print elements of "A Season of Wishes" print campaign, including a print ad, a brochure, and flagpole banners, feature a picture taken of Cameron Costanza, 6, whose wish came true when he skated with the Los Angeles Kings in February 2004, after undergoing several surgeries for a congenital heart defect.

Wishes fulfilled by the Foundation are as boundless as a child's imagination, ranging from a week at Walt Disney World, to becoming a fairy princess for a day, to spending time with a favorite celebrity, to receiving the backyard playhouse of their dreams, and more. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish for every eligible child who is referred to them, with the goal of brightening children's lives one wish at a time, enriching the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.

For more information about how to participate in "A Season of Wishes," please go to www.wish-it-blue.org or call 1-800-322-WISH.

About Blue

The signature color of the Make-A-Wish Foundation represents the endless possibilities of wishes -- as limitless as the stars in the blue sky. With the first "A Season of Wishes" campaign, Los Angeles will light-up "blue" as a symbol of wishes that always come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions, only through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 72 chapters in the U.S. and its territories. Granting more than 12,000 wishes a year and 132,000 wishes in the United States since inception, the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates "25 Years Making Wishes Come True" in 2005. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation visit www.wish.org.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles

Established in 1983, the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children throughout Los Angeles County who are battling life-threatening medical conditions. Working out of an office in West Los Angeles, the chapter has granted over 5,400 wishes to children countywide. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles go to www.wishla.org or call 310-788-9474.