New Yorkers Will 'Shop til They Drop' on Madison Avenue for Gifts and a Great Cause

November 8, 2005

Contact:
Ellen Lubell, The Children’s Aid Society, (o) 212-949-4938, (c) 917-854-6864
Emily Crossan, The Children’s Aid Society, (o) 917-286-1548, (c) 201-344-5742
Elaine Everhart, The Bank of New York, (o) 212-635-1579

The Children’s Aid Society’s Health Programs to Benefit
From December 4th’s Miracle on Madison Avenue,
Sponsored by The Bank of New York

Portion of Madison Avenue to be Closed to Traffic for Event

NEW YORK, November 2005 – New York’s holiday spirit will be on full display at Miracle on Madison Avenue, an annual shopping event bringing together leading retailers, restaurants and galleries on Madison between 57th and 86th Streets in support of the city’s neediest children. On Sunday, December 4 from noon to 5:00 p.m. over 125 participating establishments will donate 20 percent of the day’s sales to The Children’s Aid Society’s health care programs, which receive 70,000 visits a year and provide much needed care to children who might not otherwise get basic medical attention.

This is the only day of the year that any portion of Madison Avenue is closed to vehicular traffic. Madison Avenue between 68th and 72nd Streets will become a pedestrian wonderland lined with an array of specialty tents offering distinctive experiences. The Bank of New York, Miracle on Madison Avenue’s exclusive financial sponsor, will present two tents this year – a gift-wrap tent and a spa tent. The new gift-wrapping station at 71st Street will give shoppers the chance to have their purchases creatively wrapped and made ready for holiday giving. A stop at the Clarins Spa Tent at 72nd Street, also sponsored by The Bank of New York, can combat the dreaded “shopper’s fatigue.”

Hungry Miracle on Madison Avenue shoppers can stop by the Taste of Madison Avenue Tent at 68th Street, presented by the Madison Avenue BID, and sample gourmet selections from area restaurants for $5.00 a taste. For the first time, Centolire Restaurant, an upscale Italian eatery, and Chocolats Debauve & Gallais, a stateside outpost of the famous Parisian chocolatier, will be joining The Restaurant Carlyle and other participants in the extremely popular Taste Tent. A Little Star holiday cards featuring artwork by Children’s Aid Society kids will be on sale at The Children’s Aid Society Hospitality Tent at 69th Street.

Madison Avenue is known worldwide as a shopper’s paradise. New York City’s fashionistas can shop some of their favorite designers such as Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Prada, Jimmy Choo, and this year’s new additions Dolce & Gabbana and Jonathan Adler, all participants in Miracle on Madison Avenue. Popular retailers Ann Taylor, Crate & Barrel and Timberland are also among the 125 participants generously donating 20% of the day’s sales to The Children’s Aid Society.

Miracle on Madison Avenue was created in 1987 by Martha Dupee and Noonie Marx, co-founders of the Madison Avenue Fund for Children. Since its inception, Miracle on Madison Avenue has raised over $5.5 million for charity. For the second year in a row, The Bank of New York is the event’s exclusive financial sponsor and Gotham Magazine is the exclusive media sponsor.

The Bank of New York Company, Inc. (NYSE: BK) is a global leader in providing a comprehensive array of services that enable institutions and individuals to move and manage their financial assets in more than 100 markets worldwide. The Company has a long tradition of collaborating with clients to deliver innovative solutions through its core competencies: securities servicing, treasury management, investment management, and individual & regional banking services. The Company’s extensive global client base includes a broad range of leading financial institutions, corporations, government entities, endowments and foundations. Its principal subsidiary, The Bank of New York, founded in 1784, is the oldest bank in the United States and has consistently played a prominent role in the evolution of financial markets worldwide. Additional information is available at www.bankofny.com.

The Children’s Aid Society was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation’s largest non-profit non-sectarian agencies, serving over 150,000 of New York’s neediest children and their families with an innovative network of services that includes school- and community-based health centers, a mobile dental van, medical, dental, and mental health services, adoption and foster care services for children with severe and chronic medical and emotional problems, teen pregnancy prevention and education. For additional information on CAS’ health services, kindly visit www.childrensaidsociety.org.