October 2007 - MATRIX DONATES $175K TO SUPPORT THE ELIZABETH GLASER PEDIATRIC AIDS FOUNDATION IN GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS

Hollywood’s Professional Brand of Choice Fuses Cause Marketing, Salons & Celebrity as Organization’s Exclusive Hair Care Sponsor

Matrix, the country’s leading professional haircare brand, will serve as the official hair care sponsor of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and is donating $175,000 to help eradicate pediatric AIDS around the world.  EGPAF has a critical mission – to prevent pediatric HIV infection and eliminate pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs.  This partnership is Matrix’s first step toward making a difference in the lives of HIV/AIDS-infected children, while empowering stylists and providing the salon community with the means to give back. Matrix kicks-off this new partnership as the title sponsor for one of the Foundation’s primary fundraising efforts – the 9th Annual EGPAF Celebrity Golf Classic on October 1st in Los Angeles.

“We’ve come a long way since 1988. But still, in the developing world, approximately one child every minute of every day becomes infected with HIV—that’s 1500 children daily,” says Pamela W. Barnes, President and Chief Executive Officer of the EGPAF.  “We think one child is too many. And so we’re grateful for the generous pledge of support from Matrix.”

For the first time ever, Matrix will proudly support the Foundation during the 2007 holiday season by donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of its holiday gift sets. With more than two million gift sets sold across the United States each year, Matrix is committed to putting an end to this tragic disease via meaningful donations of time, promotion and dollars.

To mobilize its vast network of salons, Matrix will supply comprehensive yet easy-to-use fundraising kits to help local salons get involved and raise money in their communities.  The kits will consist of a donation box to be placed in the salon, event signs that can be personalized, tent cards, and postage-paid return envelopes for client and stylist donations.  As Hollywood’s leading salon haircare brand, Matrix is also extending its support and reach to the red carpet through the sponsorship of star-studded events that bring the entertainment community together.  Since early 2007, Matrix has already donated money in the names of celebrities attending the Marie Claire/Vavoom Oscars Styling Suite in Los Angeles, and at the Entertainment Weekly Television Upfront Party in New York City. 

“Today, through our sponsorship of the EGPAF, we are proud to extend our passion, positive energy, and tradition of caring beyond the salon community to help children around the world,” said Deborah Marquardt, Vice President Matrix Communications. 

MATRIX, the leading professional hair care and hair color company in the United States, is part of L'Oreal USA's Professional Products Division. Founded in 1980, MATRIX is committed to the development of the salon professional and offers a wide range of hair care, hair color and hair texturizing products including: Biolage, Vavoom, Sleek.look, Amplify, Shade Memory, Matrix Men, ColorSync and SoColor. MATRIX professional products are available only in salons.

About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. It’s innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide.