H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 and Bear Stearns Deploy Fifty Volunteers on First Mission to Rebuild Homes Destroyed by Hurricane Katrina

Business Wire, Dec 6, 2007

Group Rebuilding Five Homes in Five Days

NEW ORLEANS -- H.E.A.R.T. (Healing Emergency Aid Response Team) 9/11, a non-profit volunteer response team, and its lead sponsor, Bear Stearns, sent fifty volunteers to St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana this week on their first mission to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The volunteers are comprised of veteran police officers, fire fighters and construction workers, all of whom worked on the rescue and recovery at Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks. Now, they are utilizing their expertise to aid in the relief and recovery of other natural and man-made disasters around the world. These volunteers are joined by family members of victims of 9/11, victims of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 and Bear Stearns employees.

Attached is a video documenting the volunteers at work rebuilding homes. The footage consists of six teams completing various tasks from floor to ceiling - erecting interior walls, installing electrical outlets and plumbing, installing siding, and adding the finishing touches on five different homes. Often the teams are working alongside thankful homeowners.

The H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 team has already completed three homes and are aiming to rebuild two more by Friday evening. The footage includes interviews with local officials, team leaders, volunteers, and the project founder, Bill Keegan, retired Lieutenant of the Port Authority Police Department.

The attached video can be streamed online. However, if you are interested in receiving broadcast-quality footage, please contact Elisa Marks at 212-272-1574 or emarks@bear.com.

About H.E.A.R.T. 9/11

H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 is a non-profit, non-sectarian, organization that delivers on a volunteer basis relief help anywhere in the world where a disaster response is required to a community crisis. The organization was founded by Retired Lieutenants and first respondents on September 11th Bill Keegan of the Port Authority Police Department, Owen McCaffery and John Moran of the New York Police Department, and Tom Thees, a former COO in the financial industry. H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 is comprised of veteran police officers, fire fighters, construction workers and surviving families of those killed on September 11, 2001. For more information please visit www.heart911.org.

About Bear Stearns:

Founded in 1923, The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. (NYSE: BSC) is a leading financial services firm serving governments, corporations, institutions and individuals worldwide. The Company's core business lines include institutional equities, fixed income, investment banking, global clearing services, asset management, and private client services. Headquartered in New York City, the company has approximately 15,000 employees worldwide. For additional information about Bear Stearns, please visit the firm's web site at www.bearstearns.com.