WINGS OVER WALL STREET GALA RAISES $1.8 MILLION TO FUND ALS RESEARCH

New York (Oct. 4, 2002) - Last night, William Baldwin hosted the second annual Wings Over Wall Street Gala at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The event, which featured both live and silent auctions,

William Baldwin and Michael, Theresa, Dustin and Carly Beier at Wings Over Wall Street

raised $1.8 million for ALS research. Mariska Hargitay, Maria Bello, Caroline Rhea, "One Life to Live's" Tonya Walker-Davidson, former Yankees pitcher David Cone and Stephen Baldwin all came out to show their support for this great cause.

The gala was attended by more than 1,700 people who helped the MDA exceed its goal of $1 million. The live auction, which included a trip to Hawaii and a 6-bottle vertical of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, brought in $43,000. An additional $185,000 was raised through the silent auction. Some of the highlights from the silent auction include:

Toni Diamond, a former flight attendant with United Airlines, founded Wings of Hope. She was diagnosed two years ago with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or what is more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Signed U2 Guitar:	$25,250
Dinner for 5 with David Cone:	$5,000
Photograph of NY Firefighters "Raising the Flag" 9/11/01:	$25,000
Eric Clapton signed guitar:	$8,000

In 2002, Wings of Hope became Wings Over Wall Street. Michael Patrick Beier, who was also diagnosed with ALS nearly two years ago, became the chair of the event. He has been a NASDAQ trader for over 17 years and has spent the past nine years as Director of Equity Trading for Credit Suisse First Boston where he continues to work today.

"I often feel more fortunate than others affected by this disease since I can presently walk, talk, and breathe on my own; however, without a cure, I know my limbs, speech, and breath will ultimately fail. ALS is a disease that has made me angry — angry at the ways it affects me, the thousands of others diagnosed, and all of our loved ones. Since my diagnosis, I have vowed to do anything and everything possible to help stop this disease so that my children will never be threatened," said Bieir on Nov. 8, 2001.

Funds raised at Wings Over Wall Street will directly benefit the research teams of Dr. Hiroshi Mitsumoto of the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Center at Columbia University in New York and Dr. Jeffrey Rothstein of the The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. MDA spends more dollars than any other nongovernmental organization on direct health care services, ALS support groups and medical equipment, while helping to support the global scientific search for a cure.