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EXELON FOUNDATION
DONATES $1 MILLION TO
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL MEMORIAL
ON DR. KING'S HOLIDAY

In celebration
of the King Holiday, the Exelon Foundation donated $1
million to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. From left
to right: Frank M. Clark, Exelon Foundation board member
and Chairman and CEO of ComEd, an Exelon Corporation
subsidiary and Harry E. Johnson, President and CEO,
Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
Project Foundation, Inc. Photo
credit: Gediyon Kifle
Memorial Foundation President
and CEO Accepts Donation at
National Press Club Reception
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 20, 2009) - In commemoration
of Dr. King's birthday and to ensure Dr. King's legacy
lives on for generations to come, the Exelon Foundation
today presented a $1 million donation to the Washington,
DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project
Foundation, Inc. Frank M. Clark, Exelon Foundation Board
Member and Chairman and CEO of ComEd, a subsidiary of
Exelon Corporation, presented the check to Memorial
Foundation President and CEO Harry E. Johnson at Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity's Inauguration reception at the
National Press Club.
"Today, we honor the work and words of Dr. King
and the values he held so dear - tireless determination,
steadfast courage, and unconditional equality for all,"
Clark said. "The Exelon Foundation is committed
to supporting initiatives that promote diversity as
a philosophy of acceptance. For Dr. King, that philosophy
was a way of life. We hope our donation inspires others
to follow suit, and we look forward to sharing Dr. King's
convictions through a universal and eternal symbol of
his life and legacy."
The check presentation took place at a reception hosted
by Herman "Skip" Mason, the 33rd General President
of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Dr. King's fraternity.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity originated the idea of creating
a memorial to King on the National Mall in Washington,
D.C. The reception honored Dr. King along with family
members of other firsts in African American history
including Martin and Bernice King, Thurgood Marshall,
Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, and Mrs. Jackie (Rachel) Robinson.
"It is fitting that we are celebrating the Exelon
Foundation's support to the Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial on Dr. King's national holiday and
the eve of this historic Presidential Inauguration,"
said Mason.
"I am honored that the Exelon Foundation has joined
the Memorial Foundation's family of supporters, and
I hope that other foundations, corporations and individuals
will follow its lead," said Johnson.
The Exelon Foundation is an independent, non-profit
philanthropic organization funded solely by Exelon Corporation,
an energy company. The Foundation seeks out and supports
initiatives that create awareness of the civic and social
benefits of diversity and the importance of understanding
tolerance. Its $1 million donation will help to create
a memorial that will honor Dr. King's contributions
to world peace through non-violent social change. The
Foundation is the first electric utility-funded organization
to donate to the memorial.
The Exelon Foundation also will serve as one of the
lead sponsors of the February 17th Chicago Dream Dinner,
which will raise a portion of the remaining funds to
build the Memorial. Clark, along with John W. Rowe,
Exelon Foundation Chairman and Exelon Corporation Chairman
and CEO, will serve as Dinner Co-Chairs.
The Memorial Foundation has raised $104 million of
the needed $120 million. Major donors to the Memorial
include: General Motors, Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation,
NBA/WNBA, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, The Walt Disney Company Foundation, The
Coca-Cola Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
The Ford Motor Fund, Toyota, AARP, AFLAC, BP America,
Inc., CIGNA, Credit Unions of the United States, DuPont,
ExxonMobil Foundation, Fannie Mae Corporation, FedEx
Corporation, GE, Ann and Joel Horowitz Family Foundation,
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Sheila C. Johnson-Newman,
George Lucas, MacFarlane Partners, The J. Willard and
Alice S. Marriott Foundation, McDonald's Corporation,
MetLife Foundation, National Association of Realtors
(NAR), National Education Association (NEA), Nationwide
Foundation, PepsiCo Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts,
Pfizer Foundation, Prudential Financial, Inc., Shell
Oil Company, State Farm Insurance, The Travelers Companies,
Inc., Verizon Foundation, Viacom, Wal-Mart and Morehouse
College, among others.
About the 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, D.C. The ceremonial
groundbreaking took place Nov. 13, 2006 and the Memorial
will be completed in 2010. 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 or to make a donation,
please visit www.buildthedream.org.
About the Exelon Foundation
The Exelon Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization
funded solely by Exelon Corporation, an energy company,
through shareholder dollars. The Foundation supports
nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations primarily within
the Exelon operating companies' service areas. The mission
of the Foundation is to encourage respect for the environment
and strengthen the social and economic fabric of the
community by primarily providing program grants in three
areas - environment and conservation awareness, innovative
math and science education, and diversity and tolerance.
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