Variety's Power of Youth

Variety and Target announce the 2008 Target Presents Variety's Power of Youth to benefit St. Jude


Memphis, TN – July 31, 2008 – Target Presents Variety's Power of Youth was announced earlier this week by Power of Youth Ambassadors Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas, Miranda Cosgrove and Angus T. Jones at a special gathering at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, the exclusive beneficiary of the event. Target Presents Variety's Power of Youth will take place in Los Angeles, at L.A. LIVE on Saturday, October 4, 2008. The afternoon festivities will feature more than 100 of the entertainment industry’s most recognizable young talent, including Power of Youth Ambassadors The Jonas Brothers, Hilary Duff, Miranda Cosgrove, Miley Cyrus, Dakota Fanning, Angus T. Jones, Demi Lovato, Corbin Bleu, Elle Fanning, Eliza Dushku, Olivia Thirlby, Ashley Tisdale and Emma Roberts. A public online charity auction, featuring an assortment of offerings including once-in-a-lifetime experience packages donated from the entertainment community, will run leading up to and after the October 4 event, to help raise money for St. Jude.

Target Presents Variety’s Power of Youth is an opportunity to harness the enthusiasm and activism of the young Hollywood community in a focused effort to encourage their peers and audiences to get involved in philanthropic and humanitarian causes. The mission, structure and execution of the Power of Youth celebration brings together the depth and reach of three highly respected brands: Variety, Target and St. Jude – all of whom share the deep connection to the entertainment industry’s tradition of giving back to the community. Patients from St. Jude and their families will join invited guests for an afternoon including live performances, food stations, interactive games and activities, and a special visit by Bullseye, the Target dog. A limited number of benefit tickets will be available to the public.

"Target Presents Variety’s Power of Youth campaign is a powerful one; one that harnesses the energy of more than 150 young performers who are in a position to influence their peers and fans. With the support of Target and our other sponsors, the Power of Youth effort has the opportunity to generate millions of dollars to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and create a bedrock of social awareness within the next generation of entertainment," said Brian Gott, associate publisher of Variety.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, is the nation’s leading children’s cancer research and treatment hospital, and the only one that covers all of the costs for medicine, treatment, food, travel and lodging. Children come to St. Jude from across the country, and 85 cents of every dollar received supports research and treatment. Today Danny’s legacy continues to thrive through the commitment of his children Marlo, Terre and Tony Thomas, who work tirelessly to honor their father's promise that no child is ever turned away because of a family’s inability to pay.

"Our partnership educates and encourages young individuals to take action in their community," said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. "This event is important to Target because of our long-standing relationship with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the meaningful work they do."

Target House is an innovative approach to long-term housing for families whose children are receiving lifesaving treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. This unique facility, funded by Target and its vendor and celebrity partner contributions, features 96 apartment suites that are free of charge to families of children whose treatments require that they be in Memphis for at least 90 days.

“My father opened the doors of St. Jude through the generosity of the entertainment community,” said Marlo Thomas. “Target and Variety continue the tradition of entertainers giving back to people in need. The dedication and enthusiasm of young Hollywood and partners like Variety and Target enables us to carry on my father’s vision that no child should die in the dawn of life."


Target Presents Variety’s Power of Youth
The original Variety’s Power of Youth initiative was launched in 2007 in conjunction with the Youth Impact Report, an editorial look at the top young talent in Hollywood today. This year, Variety is pleased to have Target on board presenting the Power of Youth event, which encourages the next generation of entertainers to become involved with philanthropic and humanitarian causes, using their positions in popular culture to motivate others to do the same. To date, Variety’s Power of Youth has raised more than $600,000 in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

About Variety
Variety is the leading publication for entertainment news, recognized and respected throughout the world of show business. The Variety Group – Daily Variety, Daily Variety Gotham, Weekly Variety and Variety.com – are all owned by Reed Business Information (RBI), the largest business publisher in the U.S. RBI is a member of the Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE: RUK and ENL)

About Target
Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,648 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives more than $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit http://www.stjude.org.


For more on the charity or the companies involved please visit: http://www.stjude.org