Micrografx and the Technology Industry Bring Kids Home for the Holidays; 1995 Micrografx Chili For Children Cook-Off Raises More than $500,000 for the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children

Business Wire, Dec 21, 1995

RICHARDSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 1995--In the spirit of the season, Micrografx(R) Inc. (NASDAQ: MGXI) brought the technology industry together to help bring some of America's missing children home for the holidays. More than 45 leading technology companies sponsored the 1995 Micrografx Chili for Children Cook-Off -- raising more than $500,000 for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The NCMEC is a private, non-profit organization that spearheads national efforts to locate and recover missing and exploited children.

"The holiday season is an especially hard time for families with missing children," said J. Paul Grayson, chairman and CEO of Micrografx. "We're pleased that the 1995 Micrografx Chili for Children Cook-Off can give the NCMEC resources to help bring some of these children home this holiday season."

The 1995 Micrografx Chili for Children Cook-Off, the single largest private fund raiser for the NCMEC, is a Texas-style hoe down held during Fall/COMDEX in Las Vegas. The 1995 Micrografx Chili for Children Cook-Off featured notable industry leaders as "Chili Chefs," competing to win "Chili For Children" awards with their secret chili recipes. At this year's event, more than 5,000 attendees taste-tested chili, voting MIPS/Silicon Graphics as "Best of Show" and Computer Associates as the "People's Choice" from a field of 48 technology companies. IBM Corporation beat the competition and its own record in the "Most Money Raised" category. This year, the IBMers raised more than $7,000, up $2,000 from last year. The "Best Booth" award went to Epson America, and Intuit won the always-popular armadillo races. On the lighter side, PictureTel Corporation won for "Best Vegetarian" chili.

In addition to the chili competition, the event featured armadillo racing and Motown sensation The Temptations as headline entertainment. John Walsh, host of FOX-TV's "America's Most Wanted: Final Justice," and Pat O'Brien, CBS Sports broadcaster, hosted the event. Other celebrity guests who supported the event included: Steve Garvey, former Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman; actress Mary Frann, "Newhart;" and actor Ron Masak, "Murder She Wrote."

Corporate sponsors, who made donations to the NCMEC ranging from $3,500 to $30,000, include:

Cattle Baron Sponsors ($30,000 donation): Advanced Micro Devices, Computer Associates, Epson America, IBM Corporation, IDG, Inc. Magazine, Intel Corporation, International Data Group, Intuit, Kingston Technologies, Lotus Development Corp., Micrografx, Microsoft, MIPS/Silicon Graphics, PictureTel Corporation, SOFTBANK/COMDEX, Technology Service Solutions, Texas Instruments, Ventana Communications Group, Xerox Corporation, Ziff-Davis Publishing Company.

Golden Spur Sponsors ($15,000 donation): Adobe Systems, AT&T, CompuServe, Digital Directory Assistance, Digital Equipment Corp., Electronic Industries Association, Hewlett-Packard Company, InfoWorld Conference & Media Group, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers/Integral Capital Partners, PeopleSoft, Prodigy Services Company, Tektronix, Tivoli Systems, UCA&L.

Silver Saddle Sponsors ($7,500 donation): Alexander Communications, Copithorne & Bellows, Duracell, Novell, Suissa Miller Advertising.

Bucking Bronco Sponsors ($3,500): Bitstream, GEOWORKS, Ingram Micro, Microspeed, Rainbow Technologies, S3, Incorporated, Software Publishers Association, Starfish Software, WitchDesk, Inc.

Not including this year's proceeds, the Micrografx Chili for Children Cook-Off has raised more than $1.8 million in cash and in-kind donations for the NCMEC since it began in 1988. The support has enabled the NCMEC to enhance greatly its national technology network, which links missing children clearinghouses in 47 states and Canada, and can be accessed worldwide through the Internet (http://www.missingkids.org). In addition to money, technology companies have donated their time, information and products to help the NCMEC -- making it one of the most computer-savvy non-profit organizations in the United States.

For more information about the 1995 Chili for Children Cook-Off, access Micrografx online (http://www.micrografx.com).

Company Background

Micrografx develops and markets graphics software to meet the creative needs of everyone who uses a personal computer. Founded in 1982, Micrografx has become a leading software publisher by responding quickly to customer and worldwide market needs. The company's U.S. operations are based in Richardson, Texas, with a development office located in San Francisco. International subsidiaries are located in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan.

CONTACT: Alexander Communications, Atlanta

Dawn Whaley, 404/897-2300

dwhaley@cis.compuserve.com

or

Micrografx, Richardson

Kate Potts, 214/994-6413

katep@micrografx.com