NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS FRIENDSHIP DAY TO BE OBSERVED AT HEADQUARTERS

31 July 1998

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS FRIENDSHIP DAY TO BE OBSERVED AT HEADQUARTERS

19980731 Nane Annan, Winnie the Pooh and Kathie Lee Gifford Will Participate

In observance of Friendship Day, a concert co-sponsored by the Department of Public Information (DPI) and Disney Consumer Products, a division of Disney Enterprises, Inc. will take place on 3 August at noon at the Visitors' Plaza with performances by Kathie Lee Gifford, co-host of the ABC talk show "LIVE with Regis & Kathie Lee", and Disney recording artists Marco Marinangeli and Tyler Collins. Disney characters Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore will make appearances.

Mrs. Nane Annan will open the programme: Winne the Pooh and Ms. Gifford will join Mrs. Annan in unveiling the Global Pooh Friendship Flag which is made up of winning entries in an art contest sponsored by Disney. The contest was open to children and adults in the United States and six other countries. Entrants were invited to submit original pieces depicting friendship, and the special role played in their friendship by Winnie the Pooh. Each of the winners, who range in age from 4 to 75 years old and come from Australia, Japan, Mexico and the United States, received a trip to New York City with his or her best friend including a visit to the United Nations. The winners will be present in the audience.

The three performers will sing Pooh-themed songs and melodies from family-oriented albums.

Winnie the Pooh was created by British author A.A. Milne in 1924, and brought to the screen by Walt Disney in 1956. These classic children's stories relate the adventure of a young boy, Christopher Robin, and his assortment of animal friends, including a bear named Winnie the Pooh, who, with their different strengths and weaknesses, help each other out of all kinds of mishaps.

Friendship Day is an outgrowth of National Friendship Day, established by the United States Congress in 1935. Last year on this day at Headquarters, Mrs. Annan presented Winnie the Pooh with the honourary title, "Ambassador of Friendship".

For further information, call (212) 963-6923; for media accreditation, (212) 963-6934. * *** *