think MTV and United Way Launch Partnership to Recruit 'Storm Corps' for Alternative Spring Break Rebuilding Project in Gulf Coast

think MTV and United Way Launch Partnership to Recruit 'Storm Corps' for Alternative Spring Break Rebuilding Project in Gulf Coast

- FedEx and The Home Depot Foundation Support Project to Send 100 Participants to Hurricane-Devastated Region and Engage Young People in Community Service -

NEW YORK and ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV: Music Television and United Way of America (UWA) today announced a partnership to create opportunities for young people across the country to take an Alternative Spring Break. Supported by The Home Depot(R) Foundation's Rebuilding Hope and Homes program and FedEx, the program will connect young people to a range of community service learning projects, including Storm Corps, an initiative of MTV and United Way to help rebuild communities damaged in the 2005 hurricane season.

The goal of the partnership is to mobilize a generation of youth leaders to address critical issues in communities across the country. Alternative Spring Break is part of MTV's pro-social initiative, think MTV, which aims to inform and empower its audience on the issues that matter to them most, including education, sexual health, discrimination, global issues and the environment.

"think MTV's partnership with the United Way offers young people an opportunity to go beyond donations and help victims in the Gulf Coast," says Christina Norman, president, MTV. "Building upon the momentum of our ReAct NOW concert, where music was the inspiration to bring relief, we're going a step further to empower young people to actively make a difference in their world by supporting and documenting the services of Storm Corps."

Later this month, 100 young people (ages 18 and over) from diverse backgrounds and areas of the United States will be selected via a competitive application process to become part of the first Storm Corps. The goal of Storm Corps is twofold: first, to help those directly affected by the 2005 hurricanes recover and rebuild and second, to inspire young people to community service through a positive experience with United Way community rebuilding efforts. The Storm Corps teams will work in Biloxi, Miss. and Foley, Ala. to assist in the rebuilding efforts by completing projects such as removing debris from yards, repairing porches, building/repairing child care centers and rebuilding a youth recreation center.

"We are very pleased to be working with think MTV on this initiative, which will both help those in need in the Gulf Coast and give young people an alternative way to spend their school vacations," said Brian A. Gallagher, president and CEO, United Way of America. "There's nothing more important than teaching young people the importance of giving back, particularly during this time of great need and ongoing recovery in the region," he continued. "We're also very thankful to FedEx and The Home Depot Foundation for their generous support of this initiative."

Storm Corps is designed to live on beyond the initial week of rebuilding. Upon returning home, participants will be encouraged to utilize the leadership skills gained during Storm Corps and share their experiences in the Gulf Coast with their communities. In addition to Storm Corps, think MTV and United Way are promoting other alternative spring break volunteer opportunities for young people online at http://www.think.mtv.com/ , including international, national and local service projects.

"Storm Corps aligns with all of the goals for our Rebuilding Hope and Homes program: to assist with the immediate needs of those who lost so much in the storms, to contribute to the long-term rebuilding of the Gulf communities, and to help teach young people the importance of volunteerism and civic engagement and give them the tools to become community leaders," said Kelly Caffarelli, executive director, The Home Depot Foundation.

Building on their deep commitment to United Way crisis response and helping communities rebuild after disasters, FedEx and The Home Depot Foundation are supporting Storm Corps with financial and in-kind resources. In addition, The Home Depot is a founding member of Hands on Network's Corporate Service Council, an alliance of CEOs and civic leaders that is committed to increasing volunteerism by 10% and adding 6.4 million new volunteers during the next two years. Through the Council, Hands On provides resources to support critical rebuilding needs in the Gulf Coast region, specifically creating Hands On Civic Action Centers that serve as hubs to manage, train and deploy volunteers to needed areas.

MTV News will be devoting a week of programming to profiling young people who are using their time off to give back. The week of news reports will culminate in a full documentary on alternative spring breaks featuring the Storms Corps as they train and work to rebuild the Gulf Coast. "The Amazing Break" will premiere on Saturday, March 25, 2006, at 4 p.m. on MTV.

About think MTV and MTV

The think MTV initiative includes longform specials, MTV News reports, PSAs, and other special programming dedicated to the issues that young people care about most. A think MTV icon appears onscreen during programming that has an online counterpart at think.MTV.com, to offer a range of opportunities for young people to learn about and engage on critical issues at the local or national level. On every page within the site, young people can search for local volunteer opportunities, contact their political representatives, and register to vote.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 100 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services - MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 95 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

About United Way of America

United Way of America is the national organization dedicated to leading the United Way movement in making a measurable impact in every community across America by focusing on the root causes of the most serious problems. The United Way movement includes over 1,300 community-based United Way organizations. Each is independent, separately incorporated, and governed by local volunteers. For more information about United Way of America please visit http://www.unitedway.org/ .

About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot by providing additional resources to assist nonprofit organizations building affordable, efficient and healthy homes throughout the United States and Canada. The Home Depot Foundation administers grant-making programs in the areas of "Affordable Housing, Built Responsibly" and "Healthy Community and Wildland Forests." Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $20 million to nonprofit and government organizations throughout North America.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of US$31 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brands. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 260,000 employees and contractors to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit http://www.fedex.com/ .

Source: United Way of America

CONTACT: Sheila Consaul of United Way of America, +1-703-683-7871,
sheila.consaul@unitedway.org; or Diane Domondon of MTV, +1-212-846-6613,
diane.domondon@mtvstaff.com

Web site: http://www.unitedway.org/
http://www.think.mtv.com/
http://www.fedex.com/

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