Motion Picture & Television Fund Launches 350 Million FundraisingCampaign
George Clooney, MPTF Board Member, Issues Call to Action
LOS ANGELES, CA, Feb 23, 2012 (Menafn - MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation and Chairman of theMPTF Foundation Committee, today announced the launch of the MotionPicture & Television Fund's 350 million campaign to sustain thecharity's activities for the foreseeable future. At a media breakfastat the Beverly Hills Hotel, Katzenberg also introduced Board MemberGeorge Clooney as his partner in the campaign.
"I am proud to be part of the MPTF legacy of taking care of our own.Our business is more than a job -- it is a way of life, and MPTF hasbeen the essential safety net for more than 90 years," said JeffreyKatzenberg. "This campaign is the way my generation can ensure thatMPTF will be there to serve future generations forever."
As chairman of the MPTF Foundation Committee, Mr. Katzenberg has beena tireless advocate and fundraiser as well as a generous supporter ofMPTF with his wife Marilyn. At today's announcement, Katzenberg andClooney acknowledged lead gifts from Steve Bing, George Clooney, TomCruise, Barry Diller, Fox Entertainment Group, David Geffen, Jeffreyand Marilyn Katzenberg, Michael Lewis, Jerrold Perenchio, ToddPhillips, Joe Roth, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Steven Spielberg, ThomasTull, Casey Wasserman, and John and Marilyn Wells. To date,Katzenberg has helped secure 200 million in pledges and donations tothe MPTF Campaign -- achieving more than half of the total campaigngoal.
Katzenberg introduced Clooney as "a good friend of MPTF and acommitted philanthropist." In his remarks, Clooney said, "I've seenfirst-hand for many years the great work of the MPTF. I was raised tobelieve that as a community we should be judged by how we take careof people who can't take care of themselves. This is our community.This is our commitment; to make sure that the MPTF is still standingstrong for generations to come."
Clooney unveiled a vintage coin box emblazoned with the charity'soriginal name -- Motion Picture Relief Fund. He noted that the boxwas intended not only to remind the industry of where and when thecharity began, but also to represent how every gift large and smallcounts.
MPTF CEO Bob Beitcher highlighted the increasing vulnerability of alarge segment of the entertainment industry community due to changesin union and guild health and pension plans and potential erosion ofthe national social safety net. "Over the next 20 years,approximately 100,000 industry members and their families, our veryown baby boomers, will be retiring," Beitcher said. "And the fact isthat today we can't anticipate what kind of help and support they'llneed from MPTF. But we can be certain that there will continue to beneeds that otherwise won't be filled without the support of ourcharity."
"MPTF is greater than the sum of its parts, more than just theservices it provides: it's the spirit that unites the industry insupporting each other in times of need," Beitcher concluded.
Katzenberg added, "With Bob Beitcher at the helm, strategicallyguiding the structure and long-term vision for the charity, and withGeorge Clooney and many other dedicated advocates, I am confident wewill achieve our goal of 350 million."
About the Motion Picture & Television Fund For 90 years, the MPTFhas served as a beacon of hope for entertainment industry members intheir time of need. As a charitable organization, the MPTF providesfinancial assistance and services essential to the wellbeing of thecommunity and is a leader in the development and implementation ofservices and programs for seniors and those who care for them. Thecharity is supported by the generosity of corporate donors and fellowentertainment industry members who contribute their time and moneyknowing if they were ever in a tight spot, the MPTF would be therefor them too. For more information, visit www.mptvfund.org.
Contact:
Lisa Waters
Edelman
323-202-1051
310-721-2543
lisa.waters@edelman.com
SOURCE: Motion Picture & Television Fund
mailto:lisa.waters@edelman.com
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