Clear Channel Spectacolor Adopts a Cause
Company Sponsors Heart Gallery NYC; Donates $20,000 and Prime NY/NJ Billboard Space to Build Awareness of the Pressing Need for Adoptive Families
Heart Gallery NYC 100 Portrait Exhibit Debuts November 10th in Times Square
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Clear Channel Spectacolor, the U.S. market leader in spectacular sign displays and a division of the world's largest outdoor advertising company, Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO), has been named the "Heart of Gold Sponsor" by Heart Gallery NYC for their generosity and support in building awareness of the tens of thousands of children in foster care who wait and hope for permanent families. Clear Channel Spectacolor and the Clear Channel Foundation have together committed $20,000 for the sponsorship of Heart Gallery NYC's travelling portrait exhibit, along with the use of 21 billboards in Times Square, White Plains and New Jersey throughout the month.
"We are pleased to be able to help Heart Gallery with our unique services and support their mission to raise public awareness of adoption. Our philanthropic efforts have the chance to touch children's lives in a truly powerful way," said Harry Coghlan, President and General Manager of Clear Channel New York and Clear Channel Spectacolor. "Involvement in causes like this is an integral part of Clear Channel's culture and values. The Company and its employees aim to be a powerful force for positive change in the communities we touch."
November is recognized as National Adoption Awareness Month. While all adoption-related issues are important, the particular focus of the month is the adoption of children currently in foster care. Heart Gallery is a unique non-profit organization that utilizes the talents of award-winning professional photographers who capture the spirit of children in the foster care system. The portraits taken by these notable shutterbugs are shared via the Heart Gallery Web site and travelling gallery exhibits in the hope that potential families will be moved to adopt. Thousands of children have found adoptive homes through Heart Gallery, which has more than 100 chapters in the United States and Canada, and enjoys the support of celebrity adoptive parents or adoptees such as Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC, Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen Burstyn.
"Clear Channel continues to be a generous supporter of Heart Gallery. Their charitable donation will raise public awareness of the more than 115,000 children in the United States in need of adoptive homes," said Laurie Sherman Graff, Executive Director of Heart Gallery NYC. "By committing the invaluable tool of advertising space on their digital SpectacolorHD screen in Times Square, as well as other billboards in White Plains, NY and New Jersey, Clear Channel is helping us ensure that the portraits of foster children will be seen by as many potential adoptive families as possible."
Heart Gallery NYC is debuting the exhibit in an opening reception held in New York City at the Times Square Information Center on Wednesday, November 10th. In partnership with Clear Channel Spectacolor, Times Square Alliance, New York City Administration for Children's Services and the foundation Casey Family Programs, the invitation-only Heart Gallery exhibit will feature 100 stunning portraits of foster care children - the works of photographers, such as Martin Schoeller, Barbara Bordnick and Howard Schatz, renowned for their work with celebrities, like Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Jamie Foxx. On November 11th, the exhibition opens to the public and moves to the Amtrak Rotunda in Pennsylvania Station, running through November 18th. From there, the Heart Gallery NYC portrait exhibit will tour major destinations across New York City's five boroughs, including museums, airports and shopping centers, throughout 2011.
Clear Channel is a long-time supporter of Heart Gallery. Since 2006, the Company has donated valuable billboard space in New York City and Mexico, in addition to radio support in Texas.
About Heart Gallery NYC
Heart Gallery NYC is a non-profit organization that recruits some of the nation's finest photographers, renowned for their work photographing celebrities--to volunteer to take portraits that capture the individuality of each child. The photographs are then showcased in a traveling exhibit and via the Heart Gallery website to reach prospective adoptive parents. Thousands of children have found adoptive homes through the group, which has more than 100 chapters throughout the United States and Canada and enjoys the support of celebrity adoptive parents or adoptees such as Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC, Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen Burstyn. For more information on how you can support the Heart Gallery, visit http://www.heartgallerynyc.com.
About Clear Channel Outdoor
Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE:CCO) is the world's largest outdoor advertising company with close to one million displays in over 50 countries across 5 continents. In the United States, the company operates over 200,000 advertising displays and has a presence in 48 of the top 50 Designated Market Areas. It also operates airport, rail, and mall advertising businesses worldwide. Its Spectacolor (U.S.) and DEFI (international) divisions are the global market leaders in spectacular sign displays, including in New York's Times Square. Clear Channel Adshel is the company's international street furniture division, which operates over 3,500 municipal advertising contracts worldwide. Clear Channel Outdoor also operates digital displays and networks in most of its divisions. More information may be found by visiting www.clearchanneloutdoor.com.
Source: Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings
Released November 8, 2010