(Washington, DC, February 14, 2008) – The Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. today announced a $1 million donation by the Pfizer Foundation to help build the four-acre memorial on the National Mall.  The check presentation took place at the Pfizer world-wide headquarters in New York. 

Harry E. Johnson, Sr, President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation joined several senior Pfizer executives for the announcement including: Jeff Kindler, CEO, Pfizer and board member, The Pfizer Foundation; Robert Mallett, President, The Pfizer Foundation and Senior Vice President, Pfizer; Rich Bagger; Senior Vice President, Worldwide Public Affairs and Policy and board member, The Pfizer Foundation; Sally Susman, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Communications and Chief Communications Officer; and Anthony Principi, Senior Vice President, Government Relations.  Pfizer Inc board member, former Congressman Bill Gray, was also present at the check presentation. 

“I am proud to welcome the Pfizer Foundation to the long list of supporters to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial,” said Johnson. “Now is the time to make history, now is the time for other corporations and all Americans to follow in the footsteps of Pfizer, be it big and/or small to play a role in building a lasting memorial to Dr. King and the ideals of hope, democracy, love and peace for which he stood.”

"Martin Luther King, Jr. is a hero not just because of the fight he waged but because of the non-violent way he waged it,” said Kindler.  “The Pfizer Foundation is proud to contribute to this memorial of one whose dream was to have everyone judged by the content of their character -- and who inspires us because of the greatness of his own."

The donation from the Pfizer Foundation lifts the Memorial Foundation’s fundraising total to $91 million.  Pfizer joins the following major donors to the Memorial:  General Motors, Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, NBA/WNBA, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Walt Disney Company Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, The Ford Motor Fund, Toyota, AARP, AFLAC, BP America, Inc., CIGNA, DuPont, ExxonMobil Foundation, Fannie Mae Corporation, FedEx Corporation, GE, Ann and Joel Horowitz Family Foundation, Sheila C. Johnson-Newman, Lehman Brothers, George Lucas, MacFarlane Partners, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, McDonald’s Corporation, National Association of Realtors (NAR), National Education Association (NEA), PepsiCo Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Prudential Financial, Inc., Shell Oil Company, State Farm Insurance, Verizon, Verizon Foundation, Viacom, Wal-Mart and Morehouse College, among others.

Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

A Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr will be built on the National Mall, situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.  Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to establish a Memorial honoring Dr. King to be built in Washington, DC.  The Ceremonial Groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006 and the Memorial is scheduled to be completed in 2009.  McKissack & McKissack / Turner Construction Company/ Gilford Corporation / Tompkins Builders, Inc.  Joint Venture will serve as the Design-Build Team.  McKissack & McKissack is the oldest minority-owned architectural firm in the United States.  For more information, please visit www.buildthedream.org.

The Pfizer Foundation
The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization established by Pfizer Inc with the mission “to promote access to quality health care and education, to nurture innovation, and to support the community involvement of Pfizer people.” 

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