May 3, 2006 (Cleveland, Ohio)
On Wednesday, May 17, more than 600 employees from GE Consumer & Industrial will undertake one of the largest United Way Days of Caring in history. Camp Ho Mita Koda, a camp for children with diabetes, will undergo a massive renovation from GE volunteers who plan to build a new barn, restore several original camp buildings, refurbish cabins and much more.

The project is part of United Way of Greater Cleveland's Day of Caring event and is one of GE's annual Global Community Days, in which thousands of GE employees from around the world participate in service projects that cover a variety of local, educational, human service and environmental issues. In 2005, more than 20,000 GE people participated in more than 300 service projects in 50 countries around the world through GE's Global Community Days.

United Way Days of Caring gives volunteers the opportunity to donate a day of work at one of more than 130 community partner sites. Volunteers see first-hand the needs in our community and how their efforts can have a positive impact on the lives of people in need.

Camp Ho Mita Koda, the oldest continuing camp for children with diabetes in the United States, is located on 75 beautiful wooded acres in Newbury, Ohio (25 miles east of Cleveland in Geauga County). The camp serves more than 300 children annually through its residence camps and year-round programming for children and teenagers with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The camp's mission is to enable children to live well with diabetes through an enjoyable camp experience.

"We are thrilled to welcome the GE employees to Camp Ho Mita Koda," says Jacquie Dickinson, the Camp's Executive Director. "The value of the 4,000 volunteer hours from GE is priceless. We cannot wait to see the renovated 75 acre camp, which will enable us to better serve more than 300 children with diabetes annually."

For the past several months GE volunteers have been identifying projects, planning resources and purchasing materials. Generous donations of supplies and construction materials from local companies have also made the renovation of Camp Ho Mita Koda possible. ICI Paints, The Albert M. Higley Co., Eurest Dining Services and Timan Custom Window Treatments are among the largest contributors.

United Way of Greater Cleveland is one of the largest private funders of health and human services in Greater Cleveland. United Way is a leading convener and funder of partnerships focused on solutions for Greater Cleveland community's health and human services needs. For more information about United Way of Greater Cleveland and the Days of Caring program please visit www.uws.org.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliance, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies to deliver comfort, convenience, and electrical protection and control. For more information about GE Consumer & Industrial, visit www.ge.com.

Coverage for this event can be at any time between 8am-3pm. There will be a special recognition of GE by Camp Ho Mita Koda at lunchtime. To attend, or for more information, please contact Tracy Cordes, Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland, at (216) 591-0800 x27 or tcordes@dagc.org