Press Release

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October 9, 2007

Dear Friends,

Many of you know that in celebration of my 50th birthday, I recently co-led the first official culinary delegation to Vietnam with PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTV). To explore this country through the people and the food, to build bridges of friendship over Pho and spring rolls, to make friends that will last a lifetime was truly the experience of a lifetime!

Our primary purpose was to support the incredible work that PTV is dedicated to: humanitarian clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnances and to sustaining families who live with these daily threats. Our work focused on Quang Tri Province, an area heavily impacted by the legacy of war. Nearly every week someone, often a child, is killed or maimed by these explosives. We visited the completion of PeaceTrees Friendship Village on the cleared site of a former US Marine Combat Base, providing 100 family homes for 650 residents, including landmine victims and their families. PeaceTrees' work has build homes, libraries, schools and fostered friendships, peace and hope.

I am committed to continuing these efforts and dedicating my time and resources to this incredibly meaningful work. Please join me. I will be in Seattle on Friday, November 6th for THE PEACETREES VIETNAM 12th ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISING LUNCHEON.

I AM HOSTING A TABLE AND INVITE YOU TO PERSONALLY JOIN ME! ALL THE DETAILS ARE BELOW. I am in town for less than 24 hours, specifically for this luncheon and hope very much to see you there! PLEASE CONSIDER BRINGING A FRIEND AND JOINING ME IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE. In addition, I will be posting some photos of our trip by the middle of next week at www.Lisaekus.com if you'd like a first-hand look at some of our life-changing experiences!

Where: Washington Athletic Club, Seattle
Date: November 6, 2007
Time: Reception 11:30
Time: Luncheon 12:00-1:30 pm
Suggested contribution: $150.00
(Payable to: PTVN at P.O. Box 10697, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110)
RSVP: to me (Lisa Ekus-Saffer) at LisaEkus@LisaEkus.com
Or, to PTV at (206) 842-7986 info@peacetreesvietnam.org

Dear Friends,

Please join the friends and supporters of PeaceTrees Vietnam as we gather to celebrate twelve incredible years of bringing hope and possibilities for a safe future to the children and families of Quang Tri Province, Vietnam.

From the moment we launched PeaceTrees Vietnam in 1995 to sponsor safe removal of landmines and unexploded ordnance from land impacted by war, we have counted on you, our supporters, to make this seemingly impossible vision become reality. And, we couldn't have imagined then all we have accomplished with the Vietnamese people in these twelve short years. Your support has made it happen:

We've sponsored safe removal of more than 20,000 ordnance items (bombs, landmines, and other remnants of war) from 390 acres of land. In 2005, 2006, 2007, the U.S. Department of State has provided major support for our de-mining, awarding three generous grants totaling $458,000 to mobilize the "Quang Tri Province Humanitarian De-mining Team".

Yet, de-mining is only the first step. These families need ongoing support on many levels. Since 1995, your support of PeaceTrees has provided:

• Support to more than 500 landmine/UXO survivors and their families. (Update)
• Prevention of further tragedy by teaching nearly 17,000 children how to recognize explosives and avoid injury, through our Mine Risk Education programs.
• Planting of more than 35,000 indigenous trees as part of 21 Citizen Diplomacy Tree-Planting Delegations, including Student Service delegations from University of Washington, and Seattle University in Summer 2007.
• Building of PeaceTrees Friendship Village, transforming a former battleground into a safe community that includes 100 family homes for 650 residents, who now enjoy running water and electricity for the first time. Thanks to Karl Ege and members of the Princeton Class of 1965, the PeaceTrees Village is complete with a kindergarten, community hall and soccer field.
• Construction/support for the Blind School for Children - the first in Quang Tri Province to help children who have had little or no hope of a bright future.
• Micro-credit loans for 100 local women -- giving them the means to generate family income and provide for their children

PeaceTrees Vietnam's programs have touched more lives and created more friendships than we could possibly know or measure. Please join us in honoring these humanitarian achievements, and invest with us to save and support the lives of children and families who live daily with the explosive remnants of war.

SAVE NOVEMBER 6. We look forward to being with you soon!

Warmly,

Lisa Ekus-Saffer and the PeaceTrees Vietnam Board of Directors,
Jerilyn Brusseau, Blair Burroughs, Rae Cheney, Paul Kennel, Thoa Nguyen, Vicky Oxley, and Skip Rowland