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A&E Television Networks Partners With Time Warner Cable Houston to Help Create Hundreds of SoaringQuilts(R) and SoaringPillows(R) for Hospitalized Children in Houston and New Orleans With the Help of Will Rogers Elementary School

Posted on: Monday, 13 February 2006, 18:00 CST

HOUSTON, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A&E Television Networks and Time Warner Cable Houston join with Soaringwords, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity whose mission is to help millions of ill children and their families heal, to lead a delegation of volunteers from around the country to donate hundreds of SoaringQuilts(R) and SoaringPillows(R) to children in Houston and in New Orleans who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Will Rogers Elementary School welcomed the project to put their special decorative touches on each quilt and pillow as a way of reaching out to their hospitalized peers.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060213/NYM278 ) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051031/HISTORYLOGO )

Naturally, down quilts and fluffy pillows conjure up images of relaxation and comfortable sleep. But many victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Texas haven't had that luxury -- they've been relocated and continue to heal from their trauma. Will Rogers Elementary School in Houston, TX greeted A&E Television Networks, Time Warner Cable Houston and Soaringwords for a morning of hope and healing and decorated over 500 quilts and pillows.

Dr. Libby O'Connell, SVP Corporate Outreach and Educational Initiatives for A&E Television Networks spoke about the project's significance. "We have formed a special relationship with Will Rogers Elementary School and Principal Dominy. During the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, Will Rogers reached out to hundreds of evacuee students and gave them a new home. So in turn, we reached out to them to commend them for their service and to help ease the transition with box loads of school supplies from our A&E Employees. Being able to visit now, meet the students and to share these quilts was an opportunity not to be missed. We are so happy Time Warner Cable is able to join with us in this effort to pay it forward!"

"In the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, we saw firsthand the generous spirit of Houstonians," said T. Ray Purser, Time Warner Cable-Houston vice president of public affairs. "Now, nearly six months later, our community continues to give back and we are terribly proud of the children at Will Rogers Elementary School who are reaching out once again to their peers affected by this disaster. We're also honored that we were chosen to participate in this inspirational project by A&E and Soaringwords."

"It was incredibly healing for children across the country to be able to decorate the quilts and pillows with inspirational messages and artwork. This is such a tangible and personal way for children to inspire hospitalized children and children affected by Katrina to "never give up!" said Soaringwords' CEO & Founder, Lisa Honig Buksbaum.

The morning progressed with A&E Television Networks, Time Warner Cable Houston and Soaringwords delegates traveling to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston to give their home-made gifts to hundred of patients. Each year it is estimated that 18% of all children in the U.S. suffer from chronic illness (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics). This means that each year 22 million children and their families and friends, potentially 66 million people in all, face the challenges of catastrophic pediatric illness.

"The SoaringQuilts and pillows are a colorful reminder for our children and their families that people all over the country are thinking about them. The care and concern expressed in making the quilts are a reflection of the true spirit of Valentine's Day." Pat Dolan, Director, Volunteer Services and Family Relations, Texas Children's Hospital.

The Will Rogers Elementary School Soaringwords project and the Texas Children's Hospital donation are part of A&E's Lives That Make A Difference Initiative, an outreach campaign that focuses on people -- from all walks of life and all age groups-who have a positive impact on our world. It helps others learn how they can make their local neighborhood or their global community a better place. Through public service or private enterprise, people can make a difference.

Now reaching more than 88 million homes, A&E Network brings viewers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment; ranging from critically acclaimed original movies to the very best dramatic series, the most successful justice shows on cable to the Emmy Award-winning Biography(R) series. Not to mention, the A&E Network's powerhouse Real-Life Series franchise. In 2005, A&E Network holds the distinct record for the most Primetime Emmy nominations (10) for a basic cable network.

Time Warner Cable (http://www.twcablehouston.com/) is Houston's leading in-home entertainment, communications and information company serving approximately 1.6 million homes in the Houston metro area. The company has built its reputation on providing customers with choice, value and world-class customer service. Time Warner Cable is an industry leader in delivering advanced products and services such as digital cable, video on demand, high definition television, digital video recorders, high-speed Internet service, wireless home networking, and residential telephone service. Time Warner Cable is a division of Time Warner Inc. , a leading media and entertainment company, whose businesses include interactive services, cable systems, filmed entertainment, television networks and publishing.

Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051031/HISTORYLOGO

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060213/NYM278AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN18PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

A&E Television Networks

CONTACT: Cara Tocci of A&E Television Networks, +1-212-210-9083,Cara.Tocci@aetn.com; or Michael Bybee of Time Warner Cable, +1-713-335-3208,michael.bybee@twcable.com; or Lisa Honig Buksbaum of Soaringwords,lisa@soaringwords.org, +1-917-499-3783

Web site: http://www.history.com/http://www.twcablehouston.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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