VH1 Classic Partners With Renowned Artist Peter Max For 'Pay To Play' For Hurricane Katrina Relief Benefiting Mercy Corps Efforts In The Gulf Coast

VH1 Classic Partners With Renowned Artist Peter Max For 'Pay To Play' For Hurricane Katrina Relief Benefiting Mercy Corps Efforts In The Gulf Coast

Donors Can Request Their Favorite Classic Rock, Pop and R&B Music Videos for On-Air Music Video-Thon

Peter Max Offering To Paint Premium Donors' Portraits

NEW YORK, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- In the words of Cyndi Lauper, "Money changes everything." And at VH1 Classic, viewers can help change things for the better for families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

VH1 Classic has partnered with renowned pop culture artist Peter Max to launch its "Pay to Play for Hurricane Katrina Relief." Beginning today, October 10 viewers can go to the VH1 Classic web site (http://www.vh1classic.com/) and make financial donations to Mercy Corps and in return request their favorite classic rock, pop & R&B music videos to be played on the channel starting Saturday, October 15. Mercy Corps is an international humanitarian relief organization currently providing assistance to families in the Gulf Coast who have been impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. VH1 Classic on-air hosts have already been informing viewers of Mercy Corps and their work in the Gulf.

"Although the nation has made tremendous contributions to families devastated by Hurricane Katrina, there's still so much more that needs to be done," said Eric Sherman, Senior Vice President, General Manager, VH1 Classic. "Our 'pay to play' video-thon and Peter Max's renowned talents and initiative will allow VH1 Classic viewers to creatively and easily contribute to Mercy Corps' rebuilding efforts now."

"What began as an instinctual response to a tragic event to our nation has blossomed into a tangible way to help the victims of this natural disaster," said Peter Max. "It is my hope that this project will help in the efforts to rebuild the affected areas and the victims of the Gulf coast."

VH1 Classic and Peter Max have devised a "scale of support" based on the amount of money that viewers donate:

* For every $25 donation, a viewer can request one video to be played on VH1 Classic. Donors will be notified by email when their video request will be played. * For a $200 donation, a viewer can request eight (8) separate videos and receive a Peter Max limited edition poster specific to hurricane relief autographed by the artist himself. * For a $35,000 donation, Max will paint your very own portrait. You will also get to program VH1 Classic for a whole hour with your favorite music videos from the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s.

Then beginning on October 15, VH1 Classic on-air hosts Amy Scott, Eddie Trunk, Toni J and Lynn Hoffman will introduce the requested videos -- and who requested them. The video-thon, airing throughout the channel's music video blocks, will run through Thanksgiving.

Last month, VH1 launched a new public affairs umbrella initiative "Get Up Stand Up" in conjunction with Mercy Corps to help carry out short-term and long-term Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The campaign kicked off at the taping of VH1's 2nd Annual "Hip Hop Honors" in New York City where artists dropped off their donated relief items. A truck filled with the items, including "Comfort Kit" backpacks of school supplies for kids, drove to the Mercy Corps Gulf Coast command center in Baton Rouge, LA where the donations will be distributed to specific disaster areas.

Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1 billion in assistance to people in 81 nations. Currently, the organization's 2,100 staff worldwide reaches 7 million people in more than 35 countries. Over 92 percent of the agency's resources are allocated to programs that help people in need. For more information, visit http://www.mercycorps.org/.

Since the late 1960s, Peter Max's work has been an artistic symbol of American pop culture. Max's imagination and vision can be found in over 100 museums and galleries throughout the world and on a variety of unusual canvases, including the Berlin Wall, The World's Fair Mural, the 600 ft. Woodstock '99 Stage and a Boeing 777 jumbo jet for Continental Airlines. Max has painted portraits of numerous world leaders, including the last six U.S. Presidents, the Dalai Lama, and Mikhail Gorbachev. He has also been designated Official Artist of numerous international events, including six Grammy Awards, five Super Bowls, and three U.N. Earth Summits. Max continues to express his ideals of a peaceful and sustainable world for current and future generations through his art. For more on Peter Max visit the artist virtually at http://www.petermax.com/.

Launched in May 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that presents music videos, concerts and music specials featuring classic rock, soul and pop artists from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Featured artists include The Beatles, The Stones, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Police and many more. Learn more at http://www.vh1classic.com/.

Contact: Maura Corcoran 212-846-7325 Maura.Wozniak@vh1staff.com

Source: VH1

CONTACT: Maura Corcoran of VH1, +1-212-846-7325, Maura.Wozniak@vh1staff.com

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/ http://www.vh1classic.com/ http://www.mercycorps.org/ http://www.petermax.com/

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