ING Dedicates $100,000 in Scholarships Linked to Tour of 'Latin Music's Greatest Voices'

ING Dedicates $100,000 in Scholarships Linked to Tour of 'Latin Music's Greatest Voices'

ING-sponsored Juntos en Concierto 2006 Kicks Off Nationwide Tour

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- ING, in partnership with Live Nation and the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, today awarded the first of 20 scholarships linked to the Juntos en Concierto 2006 tour. Today also marks the first date of the cross-country tour featuring three of Latin music's most popular artists. ING, the global financial services company, has become the first sponsor of the popular Juntos en Concierto 2006 tour, a groundbreaking move among financial services companies.

The relationship between ING and Live Nation goes beyond sponsoring the 20-city tour; it also will directly benefit Hispanic students, making it easier for them to pursue higher education by establishing a $100,000 scholarship program with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is awarding twenty $5,000 scholarships in conjunction with the tour -- one scholarship in each market on the tour -- based on academic accomplishment and financial need.

In addition to the $5,000 scholarship presented to Luis H. Valencia of Oakland, Calif., he and his family will also receive VIP tickets to tonight's performance at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in San Jose. [Note to editor: see complete list of scholarship winners below]

"ING is committed to supporting higher education and is proud to help support the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, which has the power to help Latino students achieve their dreams of higher education and a sound financial future," said Ricardo Lopez Valencia, senior vice president and head of diversity markets for ING.

With Juntos en Concierto, ING believes the national, Hispanic consumer- focused sponsorship represents an innovative approach in supporting Hispanic communities and emphasizing the importance for Hispanic individuals and families to plan for their financial future.

"Through this sponsorship, ING is not only fostering Hispanic culture through music, but also making it easier for 20 Hispanic students to attend college," said Valencia.

"We are extremely grateful to ING and Live Nation for investing in the higher education of Hispanic youth," said Sara Martinez Tucker, President and CEO of Hispanic Scholarship Fund. "The grant will help us in our mission to break the cycle of under education in the Hispanic community by continuing to offer financial resources and support to students in those regions."

ING's research shows that despite growing affluence, relatively few Hispanics utilize financial products other than bank accounts. ING acknowledges that Hispanics need investment and wealth management services, and is working to make it easier for Latinos to maintain, grow and maximize their wealth.

ING has recognized a need among bi-cultural Hispanics, a market segment that is often overlooked by financial services companies. By tackling awareness, education and accessibility barriers of financial planning within Hispanic communities, ING hopes to help introduce more Hispanics to the concepts of financial planning.

ABOUT JUNTOS EN CONCIERTO

Headlining performers for the 2006 concert series are Latin music superstars Marco Antonio Solis and Marc Anthony, with Laura Pausini. The Juntos en Concierto tour was launched by Live Nation in 2005, and its offering of three artists of such magnitude during one show was unprecedented in the Latin touring business. Last year, the concert tour garnered critical acclaim and sold out audiences in every market.

The 20-city JUNTOS EN CONCIERTO 2006 tour kicks off July l4 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in San Jose, and makes its way to the Irvine Amphitheatre, Madison Square Garden, Chicago's Charter One Pavilion, and more (see below for complete itinerary), for 20 nights of music from three of Latin music's greatest voices, each representing an important genre within Latin music. The tour is produced by Live Nation and tickets are available through www.juntosenconcierto.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster on the phone.

ABOUT LIVE NATION

Live Nation is a leading live event, venue and digital distribution company focused on creating superior experiences for artists, performers, corporations and fans. Live Nation owns, operates or has booking rights for 153 venues worldwide and produced more than 29,500 events in 2005. Live Nation operates more than 60 websites globally. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV." For more information regarding Live Nation and its businesses, please visit the company's website at www.livenation.com.

ABOUT ING

ING Group is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to more than 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of more than 113,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves more than 15 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.

ING is not affiliated with Live Nation or Juntos en Concierto.

ABOUT the HISPANIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation's leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education. Since 1975, HSF's vision is to strengthen the country by advancing college education among Hispanic Americans. During its 31-year history, HSF has awarded more than 78,000 scholarships in excess of $195 million to Hispanic students who have attended more than 1,700 colleges and universities. For more information on HSF, including scholarship and outreach programs, please visit www.hsf.net.

Juntos en Conciertos 2006 Concert Dates:

DATE CITY VENUE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Friday, San Jose, CA Shoreline Luis H. Valencia,
July 14 Amphitheatre Oakland, CA
Saturday, Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Sarahjane Cottle,
July 15 Amphitheater Irvine, CA
Sunday, San Diego, Coors Oscar Gutierrez, San
July 16 CA Amphitheatre Diego, CA
Tuesday, Universal Gibson Bianca M. Diaz, Los
July 18 City, CA Amphitheatre Angeles, CA
Weds., Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center Michael A. Manheimer,
July 19 Glendale, AZ
Thursday, El Paso, TX Don Haskins Joshua Borunda, El
July 20 Center Paso, TX
Saturday, San Antonio, Verizon Donovan Delgado, San
July 22 TX Amphitheater Antonio, TX
Sunday, Houston, TX Toyota Center Cesar Gonzalez,
July 23 Houston, TX
Tuesday, Laredo, TX Laredo Entertainment Gabriel Rosaura,
July 25 Center Laredo, TX
Weds., McAllen, TX Dodge Arena Jessica A. Perez,
July 26 Hidalgo, TX
Saturday, West Palm Sound Advice Vanessa A. Diaz, West
July 29 Beach, FL Amphitheater Palm Beach, FL
Sunday, Miami, FL American Airlines Jessica Gomez, Miami,
July 30 Arena FL
Tuesday, Orlando, FL TD Waterhouse Athena Saldana,
August 1 Center Orlando
Weds., Atlanta, The Arena at Natalia A. Ruiz,
August 2 GA Gwinnett Center Atlanta, GA
Friday, Washington, Nissan Pavilion Jennifer S. Contreras,
August 4 DC Arlington, VA
Saturday, Wantagh, Nikon at Jones Alberto Garcia,
August 5 NY Beach Center Bellmore, NY
Sunday, Atlantic Mark G. Etess Alba E. Dominguez,
August 6 City, NJ Arena Camden, NJ
Tuesday, Uncasville, Mohegan Sun Arena Daisy T. Mogrovejo,
August 8 CT Danbury, CT
Weds., New York Madison Square Xiomara A. Sevilla-
August 9 City Garden Mannan, New York, NY
Saturday, Chicago, IL Charter One Olga Maria L.
August 12 Pavilion Calderon, Chicago, IL

Source: ING

CONTACT: Christina Divigard of ING, +1-860-723-2293, or
christina.divigard@us.ing.com; or Diana Baron of d. baron media relations
inc., +1-310-315-5444, or info@dbaronmedia.com, for LIVE NATION-JUNTOS EN
CONCIERTO

Web site: http://www.ing.com/
http://www.juntosenconcierto.com/
http://www.livenation.com/
http://www.hsf.net/

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