AMERICAN EXPRESS OFFERS EXTRA BUCKS FOR "JERRY'S KIDS"

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 14, 1998 -- As a new national sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Express will play an important role in the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon Sept. 6-7.

During the Telethon, which will air on 200 MDA "Love Network" stations across the country, American Express will donate a dollar per transaction to MDA for every contribution made using the American Express Card. This includes both donations made by telephone and those made via MDA's Web site, www.mda.org. American Express also will link visitors to its World Wide Web site to MDA's Web site, where they can watch the show live and make secure donations to MDA using their credit cards.

"Our Cardmembers clearly care about MDA's programs of services and research," said David House, president of American Express Establishment Services. "So we've made a $100,000 commitment to MDA through American Express involvement in the Telethon and other special events."

In addition to the Telethon, American Express sponsors local MDA events, including: golf outings in Tarrytown, N.Y., and Phoenix; the Magic Johnson Sports Star Dinner in Los Angeles; the Service Merchandise Mary and Harry Zimmerman Memorial Dinner in Nashville; a food-tasting event in New York; and the grand opening of the AMEX IDS office in Las Vegas. Several of its operating units also use holiday cards featuring artwork by individuals with neuromuscular diseases from the MDA Art Collection.

"American Express Cardmembers are staunch allies in our fight against 40 neuromuscular diseases," said Robert Ross, MDA senior vice president and executive director. "Cardmember support of MDA has increased steadily, reaching over $1 million last year in contributions through the Telethon and other special events."

MDA accepts American Express Cardmember contributions at major Association events in virtually every community in the country. Participants in MDA dinners, golf tournaments, auctions and other events frequently use the American Express Card.

American Express employee groups across the country participate in many local fund-raisers for MDA, and the most active of these groups appear on local segments of the Telethon.

American Express is welcome at stores, restaurants, hotels and service providers where Cardmembers charge purchases for everything from health and beauty aids to computers to weekends away. Presently, a fast-growing number of merchants worldwide welcome American Express, with a new establishment added every two minutes.

American Express Travel Related Services Company Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Express Company -- a diversified worldwide travel and financial services company founded in 1850. It's a leader in credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, investment products, insurance and international banking.

MDA is a voluntary national health agency dedicated to conquering 40 neuromuscular diseases that affect more than a million Americans. Thanks largely to public support of its Telethon, the Association maintains an unparalleled services program through 230 clinics nationwide and annually funds some 400 research teams seeking treatments and cures worldwide.

The Telethon will be broadcast Sept. 6-7. Originating from CBS Television City in Hollywood, it will be carried to some 75 million viewers by 200 television stations nationwide. The 21½-hour program also will be transmitted live on the Internet via MDA's Web site, www.mda.org.

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