Valassis Continues Search for Missing Children
20 Mai 2008 - 2:55PM
PR Newswire (US)
Missing Children's Day Celebrated Nationally on May 25 LIVONIA,
Mich., May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Valassis (NYSE: VCI), one
of the nation's leading marketing services companies, continues its
strong commitment to a program that began in 1985 and today places
the photos of missing children in mailboxes, newspaper inserts and
on the web. National attention is drawn to this cause each year in
May as National Missing Children's Day is recognized on May 25.
This nationwide observance was first proclaimed in 1983 by
President Ronald Reagan and serves as an annual reminder to the
nation to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their
families, remember those who are still missing, and make child
protection a national priority. May 25 is the anniversary of the
day in 1979 when 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared from a New York
street corner on his way to school. His story captivated the
nation. For nearly three decades, the search for Etan has
continued. However, today, just as that day 29 years ago, Etan is
still missing. The America's Looking for Its Missing Children(R)
program provides hope for families across the country with children
who are missing. It has grown to become the most successful photo
program of its kind. In partnership with the National Center for
Missing & Exploited Children(R) (NCMEC) and the U.S. Postal
Service (USPS), Valassis expanded the program to its RedPlum
free-standing insert and redplum.com this past year. Valassis also
now prints the missing child photos featured on both its mailed and
newspaper insert advertising pieces at its three printing divisions
in Livonia, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; and Wichita, Kansas.
Pieces printed in the Durham (147th recovery) and Livonia (148th
recovery) plants and distributed through our Atlanta, Ga. and
Belleville, Mich. branches, respectively, have played vital roles
in these recoveries. For the first time, the pieces that have
resulted in these recoveries have been designed, created, printed
and distributed within the partnership, creating an even greater
sense of pride for Valassis, NCMEC and USPS associates. A total of
148 children have been recovered since the program began. "We have
embraced public service as part of our daily business," said Vince
Giuliano, Valassis Senior Vice President, Government Relations, and
cofounder of the program. "We are proud of our efforts in the fight
for child protection, and along with our partners, we believe we
have made a difference in the countless lives the program has
touched. I have great conviction in the reach and power of this
company to further efforts to protect our children and bring even
more children home." Valassis is celebrating this partnership
throughout the month by promoting child safety programs to all of
its associates with special attention to NCMEC's "Take 25"
campaign. The campaign is sponsored by Lifetouch, the largest
employee-owned photography company in the world, and was launched
for Missing Children's Day last year. It encourages parents and
trusted adult role models to take 25 minutes out of their day to
talk to their kids, teaching them ways to be safer. Valassis
associates were also provided white ribbons, a symbol of hope for
missing children and their families. A primary goal of National
Missing Children's Day is to remind all parents and guardians that
photos are the number one tool for law enforcement to recover a
missing child, and that photos provide much needed hope for
searching families. About Valassis Valassis is one of the nation's
leading marketing services companies, offering unparalleled reach
and scale to more than 15,000 advertisers. Its RedPlum media
portfolio delivers value on a weekly basis to over 100 million
shoppers across a multi-media platform -- in-home, in-store and
in-motion. Through its newest offering -- redplum.com -- consumers
will find compelling national and local deals online. Headquartered
in Livonia, Michigan with approximately 7,000 associates in 28
states and nine countries, Valassis is widely recognized for its
associate and corporate citizenship programs, including its
America's Looking for Its Missing Children(R) program. Valassis
companies include Valassis Direct Mail, Inc., Valassis Canada,
Promotion Watch, Valassis Relationship Marketing Systems, LLC and
NCH Marketing Services, Inc. For more information, visit
http://www.valassis.com/ or http://www.redplum.com/ . Safe Harbor
and Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements found in this
document constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of Valassis to be materially different
from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include,
among others, the following: price competition from Valassis'
existing competitors; new competitors in any of Valassis'
businesses; a shift in client preference for different promotional
materials, strategies or coupon delivery methods; an unforeseen
increase in Valassis' paper or postal costs; changes which affect
the businesses of Valassis' clients and lead to reduced sales
promotion spending; challenges and costs of achieving synergies and
cost savings in connection with the acquisition of ADVO ("ADVO")
and integrating ADVO's operations may be greater than expected;
Valassis' substantial indebtedness, and its ability to incur
additional indebtedness, may affect Valassis' financial health;
certain covenants in Valassis' debt documents could adversely
restrict Valassis' financial and operating flexibility;
fluctuations in the amount, timing, pages, weight and kinds of
advertising pieces from period to period, due to a change in
Valassis' clients' promotional needs, inventories and other
factors; Valassis' failure to attract and retain qualified
personnel may affect its business and results of operations; a rise
in interest rates could increase Valassis' borrowing costs; the
outcome of ADVO's pending shareholder lawsuits; possible
governmental regulation or litigation affecting aspects of
Valassis' business; and general economic conditions, whether
nationally or in the market areas in which Valassis conducts its
business, may be less favorable than expected. These and other
risks and uncertainties related to Valassis' business are described
in greater detail in its filings with the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission, including Valassis' reports on Forms 10-K
and 10-Q, and the foregoing information should be read in
conjunction with these filings. Valassis disclaims any intention or
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
DATASOURCE: Valassis CONTACT: Mary Broaddus, Director, Corporate
Communications of Valassis, +1-734-591-7375, Web site:
http://www.valassis.com/ http://www.redplum.com/
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