Carver International to Distribute Pledge Envelopes at Mehta Brother's Bhonsle-Sami Concert for...

Entertainment Editors/News Editors

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2003

The Carver International Project, a California-based public service organization, will distribute close to 10,000 pledge envelopes at the May 10th Bhonsle-Sami Concert to be held at the Oakland

Arena. Promoted and produced by the Mehta Brothers, the concert hopes to draw 10,000 attendees to hear the legendary Indian singer Asha Bhonsle and Adnan Sami Khan, rated by Swedish Radio and Television Broadcasting as the fastest keyboard player in the world. A portion of the proceeds collected by Carver International will be donated to the "Food for Children" Program sponsored by the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

"We are grateful to the Mehta Brothers for giving us the opportunity to use this outstanding concert as a venue to help fight hunger," said Marge D'Wylde, director of cultural heritage and communications for Carver International. "We eventually hope to raise $10,000 for the Food Bank's "Food for Children" Program. This summer, many of the two million California school children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches will go hungry. If everybody at the Bhonsle-Sami Concert put even one dollar in their pledge envelope, we'd meet our goal."

Known for its dedication to improving living conditions for disadvantaged people worldwide, the nonprofit organization now hopes that donors will want to make a difference locally. In addition to the pledge envelopes, Carver International has placed "Let's Fight Hunger Together" donation boxes in more than 450 retail outlets throughout Contra Costa Country to encourage individuals to contribute to alleviating hunger in the community where they live and work.

"Carver International's help is especially important in light of our stressed economy and the anticipated reduction in government funding for our "Food for Children" Program," said Marilu Boucher, development director of the Food Bank of Contra Costa County. "Every month we distribute more than 21,000 pounds of food through this program in Contra Costa and Solano Counties. There are an estimated 700 families in our community with nutritionally at-risk children. The latest wave of layoffs and the tough job market will make it even more difficult for low-income families to feed their children this summer."

About The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has served people in need since 1975. Every month, The Food Bank provides food to 70,000 people in Contra Costa and Solano Counties through direct service programs and through a network of 200 charitable agencies. For information, visit www.foodbankccs.org or contact The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano at 4010 Nelson Avenue, Concord CA 94520, 925-676-7543.

About The Carver International Project

Driven by the belief that amazing things happen when people get the resources they need, the goal of the Carver International Project is to be an economic and intellectual asset stimulating philanthropy and contributing to lasting positive change. Incorporated in 2002, the Carver International Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Walnut Creek, California, with an annual budget of $22 million. The organization is chaired by Daniel Kemper, a successful businessman and philanthropist. Other board members include Ganesh Iyer, assistant professor of marketing for the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; Satish Mehta, director of the Times of India Group Newspapers; Anil Kalra, head of the Verification and Valuation Branch at the United Nations Compensation Commission; and Charles Colombe, successful businessman and member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. For more information, visit www.carverworld.org or contact The Carver International Project, 1340 Treat Boulevard, Suite 120, Walnut Creek, CA 94597.