STEW LEONARD’S RECEIVES LIFETIME GIVING AWARD FROM THE HOLE IN THE WALL GANG CAMP

ASHFORD, CONN., October 19, 2006 – For the past 18 years, Chris Angione, the catering consultant at Stew Leonard’s Danbury store, has been quietly assembling a team consisting of more than 40 people to feed volunteers and 500 invited guests at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp’s annual gala. When Chris joined Stew Leonard’s nine years ago, Stew Leonard’s came onboard, donating the majority of the food, volunteers, and chefs to prepare and serve the food for the weekend-long, invitation-only event that takes place on September 15 – 17 on the campgrounds in Ashford, Connecticut.

The camp was founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, and relies on donations and volunteers to enable children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses to find camaraderie, joy and a renewed sense of being a kid. The Annual Gala is one of the camp’s major fundraisers, where more than $1,000,000 is raised. Over 1,000 seriously ill youngsters attend Camp during the summer months. Through the rest of the year, youngsters attend camper reunions, family weekends, clinic events and enjoy Camp activities through our Hospital Outreach Program. In all, 5,000 youngsters are served each year free of charge.

At a special Friday night dinner for the theater group, consisting of Broadway stars and celebrities who perform at the Gala on Saturday night, Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner presented Stew Leonard’s with the Lifetime Giving Award, for the support they have shown over the years.

“It is a privilege for us to be able to lend a hand to this special event that is truly all about and for the kids. To be recognized for contributing to improving the lives of these extraordinary children is humbling,” said Chris Angione, Stew Leonard’s Danbury store catering consultant. “We salute the volunteers for their work in giving these exceptional children a special place where they can be themselves, and we’re honored to be recognized in their company.”

About Stew Leonard’s
Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated fresh food store founded in 1969, has three stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y., with a fourth store planned to open in early 2007 in Newington, Connecticut. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” for the past five consecutive years. For more information, visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com.

About the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Inspired and founded by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut was established in 1988. It is a nonprofit-residential summer camp and year-round center for children coping with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Each summer more than 1,000 children between the ages of seven and fifteen, from across the country and abroad, attend free of charge. Through the rest of the year, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp offers programs for campers, their families and caregivers, serving a total of 5,000 children annually.

Each year, Hole in the Wall Gang campers share the joy of a camping experience of the highest quality that seamlessly incorporates round-the-clock medical care by doctors and nurses. Campers enjoy horseback riding, boating, swimming, fishing, crafts, archery, sports and recreation, discovering in the process that they can do more than they ever thought possible. Through the rest of the year, Camp hosts reunions, family weekends, parent programs and an outreach program to hospitals. A campership costs $2,500, and offers a critical experience in the life of a seriously ill child, encouraging the heart, enlarging the spirit, and empowering the will, all year long. The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is the first in a family of camps for children with serious illnesses that has grown to include five camps in the U.S and four abroad with approximately 100,000 children served worldwide. To find out how to get involved, please visit www.holeinthewallgang.org.